Correlation between PD-L1 expression and clinical pathology, immunobiological markers, and prognosis in gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Advanced gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (GEP-NENs) have limited therapeutic options. The role of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) in their clinicopathology, immune markers, and prognosis remains controversial. This meta-analysis aimed to systematically clarify these relationships. Methods: We searched Medline/PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane Library from inception to November 2025 for studies on PD-L1 expression in GEP-NENs. Two researchers independently extracted data and assessed quality via Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). Pooled analyses were conducted using Stata 17.0, with odds ratio (OR)/hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) as effect indicators, and fixed/random-effects models chosen by heterogeneity. Results: A total of 22 studies involving 1,872 patients (17 high-quality and 5 moderate-quality) were included. High PD-L1 expression was significantly associated with higher tumor grade (OR = 3.78, 95% CI:2.04-7.01; p