Is there any correlation between spectral CT imaging parameters and PD‐L1 expression of lung adenocarcinoma?

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to explore whether spectral computed tomography (CT) imaging parameters are associated with PD-L1 expression of lung adenocarcinoma. METHODS: Spectral CT imaging parameters (iodine concentrations [IC] of lesion in arterial phase [ICLa] and venous phase [ICLv], normalized IC [NICa/NICv]-normalized to the IC in the aorta, slope of the spectral HU curve [lambdaHUa/lambdaHUv] and enhanced monochromatic CT number [CT40keVa/v, CT70keVa/v] on 40 and 70 keV images) were analyzed in 34 prospectively enrolled lung adenocarcinoma patients with common molecular pathological markers including PD-L1 expression detected with immunohistochemistry. Patients were divided into two groups: positive PD-L1 expression and negative PD-L1 expression groups. Two-sample Mann-Whitney U test was used to test the difference of spectral CT imaging parameters between the two groups. RESULTS: The CT40keVa (127.03 +/- 37.92 vs. -54.69 +/- 262.04), CT40keVv (124.39 +/- 34.71 vs. -45.73 +/- 238.97), CT70keVa (49.56 +/- 11.76 vs. -136.51 +/- 237.08) and CT70keVv (46.13 +/- 15.81 vs. -133.10 +/- 230.72) parameters in the positive PD-L1 expression group of lung adenocarcinoma were significantly higher than the negative PD-L1 expression group (all P 0.05). CONCLUSION: CT40keVa, CT40keVv, CT70keVa and CT70keVv were increased in positive PD-L1 expression. These parameters may be used to distinguish the PD-L1 expression state of lung adenocarcinoma.