PD-1/PD-L1 Expression Could Be a Prognostic Factor in Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Background: In this research, PD-1 and PD-L1 expression patterns were examined to determine their prevalence and prognostic relevance among patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

Methods: Ninety-nine patients diagnosed with AML at the Hematology Department of Çukurova University Medical School between March 2009 and June 2017 were retrospectively analyzed. The expression levels of PD-1 and PD-L1 in bone marrow biopsy samples were determined using immunohistochemical methods. Their correlations with clinical and laboratory characteristics, treatment response, and survival data were analyzed.

Results: PD-1/PD-L1 positivity (≥ 5%) was observed in 9.1% of the cohort (n = 9). At the time of diagnosis, patients showing PD-1/PD-L1 expression exhibited significantly lower hemoglobin levels than those without expression (7.25 g/dL vs 8.80 g/dL; P = .017). Elevated PD-1/PD-L1 expression correlated with poorer overall survival, with a median OS of 11 months (95% CI: 5.9-16.1) compared to 24 months (95% CI: 13.4-34.6) in the non-expressing group (P = .033).

Conclusion: Although PD-1/PD-L1 expression was relatively infrequent among AML patients, positive cases had significantly poorer survival. These findings suggest that PD-1/PD-L1 expression may be associated with poorer clinical outcomes in AML; however, larger studies are needed to clarify its prognostic relevance.

Cite this article as: Varkal G, Gürkan E, Bağır EK, Mete B. PD1/PDL1 expression could be a prognostic factor in patients with acute myeloid leukemia. Eurasian J Med. 2026, 58(4), 1217, doi: 10.5152/ eurasianjmed.2026.251 217.