Expression of the immune checkpoint molecule V-set immunoglobulin domain-containing 4 is associated with poor prognosis in patients with advanced gastric cancer

Background Recent clinical studies on immune checkpoint (IC) inhibitors in the context of advanced gastric cancer (AGC) have failed to show significant survival benefits but have suggested the possible role of IC inhibitors in anti-AGC immunity. Considering the low efficacy of targeted drugs in AGC, there is an urgent need for the discovery of new targets for the development of immunotherapeutics and prognostic markers for patient selection. This study aimed to investigate the expression of a new IC molecule, V-set Ig domain-containing 4 (VSIG4), and its clinical significance in AGC and other major cancers. Methods We analyzed the expression of VSIG4 and its correlation with survival in various carcinomas, including 882 surgically resected samples from patients with stage II–III AGC (two academic hospitals). Results VSIG4 positivity in AGC was significantly associated with overall survival (OS; Hazard ratio (HR) = 2.661, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.012–3.519, P