RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Soluble PD-L1 is a potential biomarker of cutaneous melanoma aggressiveness and metastasis in obstructive sleep apnoea patients JF European Respiratory Journal JO Eur Respir J FD European Respiratory Society SP 1801298 DO 10.1183/13993003.01298-2018 VO 53 IS 2 A1 Cubillos-Zapata, Carolina A1 Martínez-García, Miguel Ángel A1 Campos-Rodríguez, Francisco A1 Sánchez de la Torre, Manuel A1 Nagore, Eduardo A1 Martorell-Calatayud, Antonio A1 Hernández Blasco, Luis A1 Chiner Vives, Eusebi A1 Abad-Capa, Jorge A1 Montserrat, Josep María A1 Cabriada-Nuño, Valentín A1 Cano-Pumarega, Irene A1 Corral-Peñafiel, Jaime A1 Diaz-Cambriles, Trinidad A1 Mediano, Olga A1 Somoza-González, María A1 Dalmau-Arias, Joan A1 Almendros, Isaac A1 Farré, Ramón A1 López-Collazo, Eduardo A1 Gozal, David A1 García-Río, Francisco YR 2019 UL http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/53/2/1801298.abstract AB Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) upregulates the programmed cell death-1 receptor and its ligand (PD-L1) pathway, potentially compromising immunosurveillance. We compared circulating levels of soluble PD-L1 (sPD-L1) in patients with cutaneous melanoma according to the presence and severity of OSA, and evaluated relationships with tumour aggressiveness and invasiveness.In a multicentre observational study, 360 patients with cutaneous melanoma underwent sleep studies, and serum sPD-L1 levels were assayed using ELISA. Cutaneous melanoma aggressiveness indices included mitotic rate, Breslow index, tumour ulceration, Clark level and tumour stage, and sentinel lymph node (SLN) metastasis was recorded as a marker of invasiveness.sPD-L1 levels were higher in severe OSA compared to mild OSA or non-OSA patients. In OSA patients, sPD-L1 levels correlated with Breslow index and were higher in patients with tumour ulceration, advanced primary tumour stages or with locoregional disease. The incorporation of sPD-L1 to the classic risk factors to SLN metastasis led to net improvements in the classification of 27.3%.Thus, sPD-L1 levels are increased in melanoma patients with severe OSA, and, in addition, might serve as a potential biomarker of cutaneous melanoma aggressiveness and invasiveness in this group of subjects.In patients with cutaneous melanoma, severe OSA increases serum levels of sPD-L1, which are associated with several indices of tumour aggressiveness and are an independent risk factor of sentinel lymph node metastasis http://ow.ly/qAU030mC7xx