BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical correlation between sPD-1 (soluble programmed cell death-1) and PD-1 (programmed cell death-1) expression and cancer pain.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: sPD-1 content in peripheral blood was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). T cell surface-positive rate was determined by flow cytometry, and the correlation of clinical characteristics of patients with cancer pain was analyzed.

RESULTS: The positive expression rate of PD-1 in sPD-1 and T cells of patients with cancer pain was higher than that in normal patients. There was a significant correlation between sPD-1 and PD-1 positivity on T cell surface with tumor type, differentiation degree, and VAS scores of patients with cancer pain (P<0.05). Peripheral blood sPD-1 level and PD-1 positivity in patients with liver cancer and melanoma cancer were higher than those in patients with renal cell carcinoma and breast cancer. In addition, peripheral blood sPD-1 level and PD-1 positivity in patients with poorly-differentiated cancer pain were higher than those in patients with intermediately- to well-differentiated cancer. The sPD-1 content was lower and PD-1 positivity rate was higher in cancer pain patients with low VAS scores.

CONCLUSIONS: The positive expression rate of sPD-1 and PD-1 in patients with cancer pain is higher than that in normal people. The activation rate of the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway was mediated by sPD-1 and PD-1 positive expression, age, tumor type, and differentiation. There are correlations between clinical characteristics such as degree and pain level as shown by VAS score.

Keywords: Adrenal Cortex Neoplasms, Antigens, Differentiation, B-Lymphocyte, Disorders of Sex Development, Aged, 80 and over, B7-H1 Antigen, cancer pain, Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay, Flow Cytometry, Neoplasms, Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor, T-Lymphocytes