Abstract:ObjectiveTo investigate the expression and clinical significance of programmed deathligand 1 (PDL1) protein in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).MethodsImmunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of PDL1 in 162 NPC specimens. The relationship between PDL1 expression and clinicopathological characteristics of NPC was further explored.ResultsThe results showed that no significant relationship existed between PDL1 expression and clinicopathological parameters such as patients’ gender, age, PS score, and smoking status as well as clinical stage of the tumor (all P>0.05). The 3year overall survival rate in PDL1 positive group was much higher than that in PDL1 negative group (92.3% vs 80.0%, P=0.026).ConclusionNPC patients with positive PDL1 expression show better prognosis than those with negative PDL1 expression, which indicates that PDL1 may be a potential biomarker for the prediction of prognosis in patients with NPC.