Programmed Death Ligand-1 Expression in Gastric Cancer Cases in Zambia

  • Husna Munshi Department of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Zambia School of Medicine, Lusaka, Zambia.
  • Chibamba Mumba Tropical Gastroenterology & Nutrition group, Lusaka, Zambia
  • Mupeta Songwe Department of Pathology and Microbiology, University Teaching Hospital, Lusaka, Zambia
  • Violet Kayamba Department of Internal Medicine, University of Zambia School of Medicine, Lusaka Zambia
Keywords: Gastric Cancer, Adenocarcinoma, Immunohistochemistry, Programmed Death Ligand-1, Immunotherapy, Zambia

Abstract

Gastric cancer is a highly fatal disease in Zambia due to delayed diagnosis, aggressiveness of the disease and ineffective treatment. Programmed death ligand-1 is a key biomarker of gastric cancer, linked to immune evasion and response to anti- Programmed death ligand-1 therapies. This study aimed to evaluate the expression of in gastric cancer cases and its association with various clinicopathological prognostic factors in Zambia. This pilot study utilized archived formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue blocks from patients diagnosed with gastric cancer at the University Teaching Hospitals in Lusaka, Zambia. A total of 41 gastric cancer samples were examined, with 65.9% female (27) and 34.1% male (14), and a median age of 63 years (interquatile range: 56–76). The slides were stained with Haematoxylin and Eosin, followed by immunohistochemical analysis to assess Programmed Death Ligand-1 expression, which was evaluated using a combined positive scoring system. Statistical analysis was conducted using STATA, version 15. Six patients (14.6%) exhibited positive expression of Programmed Death Ligand-1, with a combined positive score of 1 or higher. However, our analysis did not reveal any significant associations between PD-L1 expression and any of the clinicopathological variables assessed. We found that a small proportion (14.6%) of GCs in our population express Programmed Death Ligand-1, identifying a potentially therapeutically actionable patient group.

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Published
2025-06-26
How to Cite
1.
Munshi H, Mumba C, Songwe M, Kayamba V. Programmed Death Ligand-1 Expression in Gastric Cancer Cases in Zambia. Journal of Agricultural and Biomedical Sciences [Internet]. 26Jun.2025 [cited 26Jul.2025];9(2). Available from: https://journals.unza.zm/index.php/JABS/article/view/1492
Section
Biomedical Sciences