High PD-L1 expression as a negative prognostic factor in stage III but not in stage II gastric cancer

Table 3 Univariate and multivariate analyses of clinicopathological features associated with disease-free survival and overall survival for pathological stage III gastric or gastroesophageal junction cancer

Variables	DFS-univariate		DFS-multivariate		OS-univariate		OS-multivariate
	HR (95%CI)	P value	HR (95%CI)	P value	HR (95%CI)	P value	HR (95%CI)	P value
Sex
Male	1.000				1.000
Female	1.101 (0.725, 1.670)	0.652			1.067 (0.670, 1.702)	0.784
Age (year)
< 65	1.000				1.000
≥ 65	1.249 (0.810, 1.926)	0.314			1.782 (0.772, 4.112)	0.176
Tumor size (cm)
< 5	1.000				1.000
≥ 5	1.143 (0.743, 1.759)	0.542			1.394 (0.869, 2.238)	0.169
Lesion sites
Stomach	1.000				1.000
GEJ	1.228 (0.778, 1.938)	0.377			1.058 (0.631, 1.772)	0.831
Histology
Other	1.000				1.000
Sig	0.900 (0.590, 1.373)	0.626			0.962 (0.602, 1.537)	0.870
Grade
G1-G2	1.000				1.000
G3	0.873 (0.501, 1.520)	0.631			0.755 (0.414, 1.380)	0.362
Pathological stage
pIIIA	1.000	< 0.001	1.000	< 0.001	1.000	< 0.001	1.000	< 0.001
pIIIB	1.716 (1.030, 2.861)	0.038	1.719 (1.018, 2.903)	0.043	1.953 (1.080, 3.533)	0.027	1.897 (1.026, 3.509)	0.041
pIIIC	3.584 (2.130, 6.029)	< 0.001	3.423 (2.012, 5.822)	< 0.001	4.269 (2.348, 7.761)	< 0.001	4.237 (2.291, 7.837)	< 0.001
HER-2 expression
Negative	1.000		1.000		1.000		1.000
Positive	1.798 (0.977, 3.308)	0.059	1.680 (0.910, 3.100)	0.097	1.332 (0.660, 2.689)	0.423	1.148 (0.566, 2.328)	0.702
MMR status
dMMR	1.000				1.000
pMMR	0.505 (0.221, 1.156)	0.106			0.475 (0.191, 1.178)	0.108
EBV status
Negative	1.000				1.000
Positive	0.671 (0.212, 2.123)	0.497			0.555 (0.136, 2.266)	0.412
PD-L1 expression
Low	1.000		1.000		1.000		1.000
High	1.608 (1.060, 2.438)	0.026	1.624 (1.056, 2.500)	0.027	1.639 (1.026, 2.619)	0.039	1.653 (1.016, 2.688)	0.043

DFS: Disease-free survival; OS: Overall survival; GEJ: Gastroesophageal junction; Sig: Signet ring cell carcinoma; pIII: Pathological stage III; MMR: Mismatch repair; dMMR: Deficient mismatch repair; pMMR: Proficient mismatch repair; EBV: Epstein-Barr virus; PD-L1: Programmed death ligand-1.