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PD-L1 is one of the two programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) ligands and a part of an immune checkpoint system (PD-1/PD-L1) with widespread clinical application. The aim of this study was to investigate PD-L1 expression and its association with clinicopathological and prognostic significance in non-clear cell renal cell carcinoma (non-ccRCC) patients. A total of 41 papillary (pRCC) and 20 chromophobe (chRCC) RCC tumors were examined for PD-L1 expression by immunohistochemistry in the cancer cells and tumor-infiltrating mononuclear cells (TIMCs). PD-L1 positivity was detected in 36.6% pRCC and 85.0% chRCC cancer cells, while PD-L1 positivity was observed in 73.2% pRCC and 50.0% chRCC TIMCs. PD-L1 positivity in both pRCC and chRCC tumor cells was not correlated with any of the examined clinicopathological features, while PD-L1 positivity in TIMCs was associated with the age of patients with pRCC. During follow-up, the death was documented among 6 patients with pRCC. Papillary RCC patients with PD-L1-positive tumor cells were significantly associated with an increased risk of death compared with patients with PD-L1-negative cancer cells. A similar trend was observed when comparing PD-L1 expression in TIMCs. However, no differences in overall survival for PD-L1-positive pRCC patients with compared to PD-L1-negative patients were observed in tumor cells or TIMCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of adipose mesenchymal stem cells (Ad-MSCs) in metabolic syndrome remains unclear. We aimed to assess the expression of selected microRNAs in Ad-MSCs of non-diabetic adults in relation to Ad-MSC secretion of protein regulators and basic metabolic parameters. Ten obese, eight overweight, and five normal weight subjects were enrolled: 19 females and 4 males; aged 43.0 ± 8.9 years. Ad-MSCs were harvested from abdominal subcutaneous fat. Ad-MSC cellular expressions of four microRNAs (2−ΔCt values) and concentrations of IL-6, IL-10, VEGF, and IGF-1 in the Ad-MSC-conditioned medium were assessed. The expressions of miR-21, miR-122, or miR-192 did not correlate with clinical parameters (age, sex, BMI, visceral fat, HOMA-IR, fasting glycemia, HbA1c, serum lipids, CRP, and eGFR). Conversely, the expression of miR-155 was lowest in obese subjects (3.69 ± 2.67 × 10−3 vs. 7.07 ± 4.42 × 10−3 in overweight and 10.25 ± 7.05 × 10−3 in normal weight ones, p = 0.04). The expression of miR-155 correlated inversely with BMI (sex-adjusted r = −0.64; p < 0.01), visceral adiposity (r = −0.49; p = 0.03), and serum CRP (r = −0.63; p < 0.01), whereas it correlated positively with serum HDL cholesterol (r = 0.51; p = 0.02). Moreover, miR-155 synthesis was associated marginally negatively with Ad-MSC secretion of IGF-1 (r = −0.42; p = 0.05), and positively with that of IL-10 (r = 0.40; p = 0.06). Ad-MSC expression of miR-155 appears blunted in visceral obesity, which correlates with Ad-MSC IGF-1 hypersecretion and IL-10 hyposecretion, systemic microinflammation, and HDL dyslipidemia. Ad-MSC studies in metabolic syndrome should focus on miR-155. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]