IL6 and CD40 Identified by OLINK Proteomics as Potential Biomarkers for Evaluating Neoadjuvant Immune-Chemotherapy Efficacy in Esophageal Adenocarcinoma.

Background : Esophageal cancer ranks among the top six malignancies in terms of mortality rates in China. The integration of neoadjuvant immunotherapy with chemotherapy has improved treatment outcomes for resectable esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC); however, more than 50% of patients demonstrate suboptimal responses to neoadjuvant therapy. Currently, aside from imaging modalities and postoperative pathological evaluations, there is a notable lack of effective molecular biomarkers for monitoring the efficacy of neoadjuvant treatments. Methods : EAC patients who have received neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy should be stratified into two cohorts according to the efficacy of the treatment. Subsequently, OLINK immunoproteomics can be employed to identify molecules that are differentially expressed between these two groups. Results : Utilizing OLINK proteomics, this study identifies IL6 and CD40 as differentially expressed and correlated with patient survival； Conclusion: This study proposes CD40 and IL6 as potential biomarkers for assessing the clinical efficacy of neoadjuvant therapy in cases of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC). These findings are expected to enhance the evaluation of neoadjuvant therapy effectiveness in resectable EAC.