Prognostic significance of programmed cell death-ligand 1 expression on immune cells and epithelial-mesenchymal transition expression in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

This study demonstrates that PD-L1 expression of TILs is closely associated with EMT marker expression in HCC. Clinical investigations using anti-PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors in patients with EMT-associated PD-L1 upregulation are warranted.