The value of combined detection of LDHA and PD-L1 in predicting the efficacy and prognosis of advanced gastric cancer patients treated with PD-1 inhibitor

Background and purpose: The response rate of gastric cancer patients to programmed death-1 (PD-1) inhibitor is relatively low. Establishing a useful efficacy prediction method to screen the superior gastric cancer patients receiving anti-PD-1 therapy could improve the prognosis of patients. This study aimed to explore the value of combined detection of lactate dehydrogenase (LDHA) and programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) expressions in predicting the efficacy and prognosis of gastric cancer patients treated with PD-1 inhibitor. Methods: The clinicopathological data of 50 advanced gastric cancer patients treated with PD-1 inhibitor in The First Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical College from January 2020 to March 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. The independent risk factors affecting the efficacy of PD-1 inhibitor were analyzed by multivariate logistic regression. The value of combined detection of LDHA and PD-L1 in predicting the efficacy of PD-1 inhibitors in gastric cancer was analyzed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Gastric cancer patient survival was analyzed by Kaplan-Meier method. Results: The objective response rate (ORR) of gastric cancer patients receiving PD-1 inhibitor therapy in LDHA low and high expression groups were 59% and 10%, respectively. The disease control rate (DCR) in LDHA low and high expression groups were 83% and 29%, respectively. The difference was statistically significant (P