免疫检查点抑制剂的风湿性免疫相关不良反应与治疗

免疫检查点抑制剂(ICIs)在癌症治疗中显示出较好的疗效,但随着ICIs的快速应用,免疫相关不良事件(irAE)也越来越引起人们的关注。几乎全身器官皆可发生irAE,但风湿性irAE似乎具有不同的临床特征。本文就ICIs治疗引起的风湿性irAE的流行病学、临床特征及管理原则进行综述,并探讨其可能的潜在致病机制。     

Immune-Related Adverse Events by Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors Significantly Predict Durable Efficacy Even in Responders with Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Background

Although predictive value of immune-related adverse events (irAEs) induced by immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have been suggested by several studies, their assessments were insufficient because patients were categorized only by the occurrence of irAEs. It has not been elucidated whether irAEs also play a significant role even in responders.

Materials and Methods

Between December 2015 and September 2018, 106 patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer treated with ICIs were enrolled in our prospective biomarker study. Twenty-three of these were responders, defined as those with complete or partial response. We investigated the proportion of irAEs among overall and responders. For responders, progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival of ICIs were compared between those with and without irAEs. As an exploratory analysis, we measured 41 proteins from peripheral blood before and after ICI treatment.

Results

The proportion of irAEs was significantly higher in responders than nonresponders (65.2% vs. 19.3%, p < .01). Among responders, clinical characteristics did not differ regardless of the occurrence of irAEs. However, there was a significant difference in PFS among responders (irAE group 19.1 months vs. non-irAE group 5.6 months; hazard ratio: 0.30 [95% confidence interval: 0.10–0.85]; p = .02). Of 41 protein analyses, fibroblast growth factor-2 at baseline and monocyte chemoattractant protein fold change showed significant differences between them (p < .04).

Conclusion

Although this is a small sample–sized study, irAE might be a predictive factor of durable efficacy, even in patients who responded to ICIs. Investigation into the significance of irAEs in responders will contribute to the establishment of optimal administration of ICI.

Implications for Practice

Although the predictive value of immune-related adverse events (irAEs) induced by immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has been suggested by several studies, it has not been elucidated whether irAEs also play a significant role even in responders. This study showed that more than 60% of responders had irAEs. It demonstrated the strong correlation between irAEs and efficacy even in responders. Investigation into the significance of irAEs in responders will contribute to the establishment of optimal administration of ICI.

     

Consider Myocarditis When Patients Treated with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors Present with Ocular Symptoms

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have been associated with neurological immune related adverse events (irAE-N) and patients with ICI toxicity may present with neurological or ocular symptoms. Furthermore, patients on ICI may initially present to oncology or neurology. We report a case series of 3 patients treated with ICIs presenting with diplopia or ptosis, found to have concurrent myocarditis in addition to immune-related myopathy (irMyopathy) or myasthenia gravis (irMG). None of the patients described cardiac symptoms, underscoring the importance of screening for myocarditis in patients presenting with diplopia and/or other neuromuscular symptoms which may suggest either irMyopathy or irMG.     

Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor-related New-onset Thyroid Dysfunction: A Retrospective Analysis Using the US FDA Adverse Event Reporting System

ObjectivesThe study aimed to investigate the prevalence and demographic characteristics of an immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)-related thyroid dysfunction (ICI-TD), and to explore risk factors of poor clinical outcome using data from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS).MethodsThis is a retrospective study. All cases, aged over 18-year olds, of new-onset or new-diagnosed thyroid dysfunction related to FDA-approved ICIs from January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2020 were identified using FAERS. Data of age, gender, other combined endocrinopathies related to ICIs besides ICI-TDs, and the prognosis was analyzed.ResultsIn total, 2.60% (2971/114 121) cases of ICI-TDs were identified. Among them, 1842 (62.0%) developed hypothyroidism, 675 (22.7%) were hyperthyroidism, and 454 (15.3%) presented in thyroiditis without the mention of thyroid function. Patients on anti- programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1) therapy displayed higher risk of hypothyroidism compared with other 3 regimens, respectively (P < .01 for all). The likelihood of other immune-related endocrinopathies in patients on the combination therapy of anti-cytotoxic T-cell-associated protein-4 (CTLA-4) and anti-PD-1 was significantly elevated than anti-PD-1 (odds ratio [OR] 2.362, 95% confidence interval [CI] [1.925-2.898], P < .001) and anti-programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) regimens (OR 4.857, 95%CI [3.228-7.308], P < .001). The risk of severe cases was positively related to hypothyroidism in individuals on anti-PD-1 therapy (OR 1.587, 95%CI [1.146-2.197], P = .005) and those on anti-CTLA-4 therapy (OR 3.616, 95%CI [1.285-10.171], P = .015). The risk of severe cases was positively associated with the comorbidity with other endocrinopathies (anti-PD-1 group, OR 0.285, 95%CI [0.200-0.467], P < .001; anti-PD-1+anti-CTLA-4 group, OR 0.574, 95%CI [0.371-0.890], P = .013).ConclusionsRegular monitor of thyroid function is indispensable, since ICI-TDs manifested as hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism, especially those on the combination therapy. Awareness among health care professionals is critical when hypothyroidism occurs, which might indicate poor clinical outcomes.     

Incidence,Clinical Characteristics,and Predictors of Cardiovascular Immune-Related Adverse Events Associated with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors

BackgroundCardiovascular immune-related adverse events (CV–irAEs) associated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) may have been underreported given that most previous reports were retrospective. We aimed to evaluate the incidence, clinical characteristics, and predictors of CV–irAEs and determine the feasibility of serial cardiac monitoring using a combination of B-type natriuretic peptide, cardiac troponin T, and electrocardiogram for the prediction of future symptomatic (grade ≥2) CV–irAEs.Materials and MethodsThis was a prospective observational study that included 129 consecutive patients with non–small-cell lung cancer who received ICI monotherapy at a single center. Serial cardiac monitoring was performed during ICI monotherapy.ResultsA total of 35 (27%) patients developed any grade ≥1 CV–irAEs with a median time of onset of 72 (interquartile range 44-216) days after ICI treatment initiation. Multivariate Fine–Gray regression analysis showed that prior acute coronary syndrome (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 3.15 (95% [CI], 2.03-4.91), prior heart failure hospitalization (adjusted HR 1.65 [95% CI, 1.17-2.33]), and achievement of disease control (adjusted HR 1.91, [95% CI, 1.16-3.14]) were significantly associated with grade ≥1 CV–irAEs. Serial cardiac monitoring revealed that patients with preceding grade 1 CV–irAEs were associated with a significantly higher risk of onset of grade ≥2 CV–irAEs compared with those without preceding grade 1 CV–irAEs (HR: 6.17 [95% CI, 2.97-12.83]).ConclusionCV–irAEs were more common than previously recognized and have several predictors. Moreover, serial cardiac monitoring may be feasible for the prediction of future grade ≥2 CV–irAEs.     

Emergency Department Utilization for Patients Receiving Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: A Retrospective Analysis of Identification and Outcomes for Those Presenting for Immune-Related Adverse Events

Background: Immune-related adverse events (iRAEs) are known complications of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Early identification and management leads to improved morbidity and mortality. This study seeks to address our center’s experience with iRAEs in the emergency department (ED). Methods: We performed a retrospective review of patients treated with ICIs in 2018 and 2019 for any indication. All diagnoses of iRAEs were recorded. For all patients who presented to the ED following administration of an ICI, we assessed whether the presenting symptoms were eventually diagnosed as an iRAE. We assessed disposition, time to initiation of corticosteroids and outcomes in these patients. Results: 351 evaluable patients were treated with an ICI, 129 patients (37%) had at least one presentation to the ED, 17 of whom presented with symptoms due to a new iRAE. New iRAE diagnoses were broad, occurred after median 2 cycles, majority irAEs were grade 3 or higher (70.6%), and two patients died due to toxicity. Twelve patients were admitted to the hospital during initial presentation or at follow-up, four required ICU care. All patients required immunosuppressive therapy, and only three were later re-challenged with an ICI. Of the patients who were admitted to the hospital, median time to first dose of corticosteroid was 30.5 h (range 1–269 h). Conclusions: Patients on ICI have a significant risk of requiring an ED visit. A notable proportion of iRAEs have their first presentation at the ED and often can present in a very nonspecific manner. A standardized approach in the ED at the time of presentation may lead to improved identification and management of these patients.     

免疫检查点抑制剂的免疫相关不良事件预测生物标志物研究进展

近年来,以免疫检查点为靶点的肿瘤免疫疗法因疗效显著而备受关注.然而随着免疫检查点抑制剂(ICIs)的推广应用,其相关不良事件(irAEs)的报道也越来越多.irAEs使接受ICIs治疗的肿瘤患者承担着额外的致命风险,限制着ICIs的使用.为帮助患者主动预防irAEs,研究具有irAEs预测价值的生物标志物意义重大.本文...     

肿瘤免疫检查点抑制剂治疗不良反应及其治疗——皮肤

免疫检查点抑制剂(ICPIs)已成功应用于多种恶性肿瘤的治疗,但在应用的过程中也会发生免疫相关不良反应(irAEs)。皮肤不良反应为常见的irAEs,病变较轻者主要表现为斑丘疹、苔藓样皮炎、大疱性类天疱疮、白癜风、银屑病和硬皮病;病情较重甚至危及生命的皮肤不良反应包括史提芬强生症候群和中毒性表皮坏死松解症;其他包括药疹伴嗜酸性粒细胞增多和系统症状、Sweet′s 综合征、秃头症、Grover′s病和副肿瘤综合征等。本文将对ICPIs治疗相关皮肤不良反应诊治进行综述。     

Patient Blood Type Is Associated With Response to Immune Checkpoint Blockade in Metastatic Cancer

BackgroundImmune checkpoint blockade (ICB) has transformed cancer therapy, with long-term responses and a favorable safety profile; however, only a minority of patients respond. Response to ICB is influenced by immune-related genetic factors such as HLA haplotype, potentially including patient blood type and associated differences in diversity of the T-cell repertoire. A minority of patients experience immune-related adverse events (irAEs), with unclear relation to response or resistance.Materials and MethodsIn this single institution study, we aimed to investigate the relationship of time to treatment failure (TTF) with patient blood type and with occurrence of irAEs, among patients with metastatic cancer receiving ICB.ResultsWe found a strong association of improved TTF with presence of irAEs, and also among patients with type O blood, compared with type A/B/AB blood. Among patients with type O blood, TTF was substantially longer among those experiencing an irAE (n = 44; adjusted HR 0.41, 95% CI 0.18,0.96). For patients with type A/B/AB blood, no significant association was present (n = 63; adjusted HR 0.69, 95% CI 0.39,1.21). For type O patients, median TTF of ICB was 13.4 months (95% CI: 3.79 months, NA) vs 2.55 months (95% CI: 1.95 months, 4.95 months) for other patients.ConclusionThis retrospective study of a cohort of patients receiving ICB suggests a preferential benefit among patients with type O blood and, in particular, among patients with type O blood who developed irAEs. Validation in future independent cohorts and investigation of a potential biologic basis for this finding is warranted.     

Myocarditis Associated with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: An Expert Consensus on Data Gaps and a Call to Action

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have transformed the treatment landscape for cancer. Due to the mechanism of action of ICIs, inflammatory reactions against normal tissue were an anticipated side effect of these agents; these immune‐related adverse events have been documented and are typically low grade and manageable. Myocarditis has emerged as an uncommon but potentially life‐threatening adverse reaction in patients treated with ICIs. Assessment and characterization of ICI‐associated myocarditis is challenging because of its low incidence and protean manifestations. Nevertheless, the seriousness of ICI‐associated myocarditis justifies a coordinated effort to increase awareness of this syndrome, identify patients who may be at risk, and enable early diagnosis and appropriate treatment. The “Checkpoint Inhibitor Safety Working Group,” a multidisciplinary committee of academic, industry, and regulatory partners, convened at a workshop hosted by Project Data Sphere, LLC, on December 15, 2017. This meeting aimed to evaluate the current information on ICI‐associated myocarditis, determine methods to collect and share data on this adverse reaction, and establish task forces to close the identified knowledge gaps. In this report, we summarize the workshop findings and proposed steps to address the impact of ICI‐associated myocarditis in patients with cancer.     

20例晚期肿瘤患者免疫检查点抑制剂不良反应临床观察并文献复习

目的观察免疫检查点抑制剂治疗的相关不良反应。方法回顾性分析2017年3月—2019年8月在中国医学科学院肿瘤医院进行免疫检查点抑制剂治疗的20例晚期肿瘤患者临床资料,总结免疫检查点抑制剂治疗的相关不良反应。结果 20例患者免疫治疗中位时间为4.0月,发生较明确免疫治疗相关不良反应的共6例,中位时间5.3月,其中1例发生Ⅰ级免疫性胃肠炎,1例Ⅰ级免疫性皮炎,1例Ⅱ级免疫性甲状腺炎,1例Ⅲ级免疫性肝炎,1例Ⅲ级免疫性肺炎及1例Ⅳ级免疫性肺炎。结论伴随免疫治疗的相关不良反应发生率较高,严重的不良反应甚至危及生命,故免疫相关不良反应的早发现、早诊断及早干预至关重要。     

Pembrolizumab-Induced Encephalopathy: A Review of Neurological Toxicities with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors

The use of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy in the treatment of solid organ malignancies is becoming increasingly common. This has prompted the recognition of a new class of immune-related adverse effects (irAEs) stemming from the upregulation of T-cell activity causing autoimmunity. Neurological irAEs are a rare complication of ICIs that can lead to long-term morbidity. We report a rare case of encephalopathy after treatment with pembrolizumab, to which the patient achieved durable disease response despite discontinuation of therapy. We also review the pathophysiology, incidence, clinical presentation, diagnosis, and management of neurotoxicity secondary to ICIs. Treatment requires early administration of high-dose corticosteroids, and cessation of ICI therapy is often necessary after grade 3 or 4 irAEs. However, early data suggest that neurological irAEs correlate with a favorable disease response. Consideration should also be given to the optimal duration of ICI therapy to minimize the risk of toxicity and optimize health care expenditure.     

Immune-Related Adverse Events as Clinical Biomarkers in Patients with Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma Treated with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors

Background

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are an important treatment for metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC). These agents may cause immune-related adverse events (irAEs), and the relationship between irAEs and outcomes is poorly understood. We investigated the association between irAEs and clinical outcomes in patients with mRCC treated with ICIs.

Methods

We performed a retrospective study of 200 patients with mRCC treated with ICIs at Winship Cancer Institute from 2015 to 2020. Data on irAEs were collected from clinic notes and laboratory values and grades were determined using Common Terminology Criteria in Adverse Events version 5.0. The association with overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) was modeled by Cox proportional hazards model. Logistic regression models were used to define odds ratios (ORs) for clinical benefit (CB). Landmark analysis and extended Cox models were used to mitigate lead-time bias by treating irAEs as a time-varying covariate.

Results

Most patients (71.0%) were male, and one-third of patients (33.0%) experienced at least one irAE, most commonly involving the endocrine glands (13.0%), gastrointestinal tract (10.5%), or skin (10.0%). Patients who experienced irAEs had significantly longer OS (hazard ratio [HR], 0.52; p = .013), higher chance of CB (OR, 2.10; p = .023) and showed a trend toward longer PFS (HR, 0.71; p = .065) in multivariate analysis. Patients who had endocrine irAEs, particularly thyroid irAEs, had significantly longer OS and PFS and higher chance of CB. In a 14-week landmark analysis, irAEs were significantly associated with prolonged OS (p = .045). Patients who experienced irAEs had significantly longer median OS (44.5 vs. 18.2 months, p = .005) and PFS (7.5 vs. 3.6 months, p = .003) without landmark compared with patients who did not.

Conclusion

We found that patients with mRCC treated with ICIs who experienced irAEs, particularly thyroid irAEs, had significantly improved clinical outcomes compared with patients who did not have irAEs. This suggests that irAEs may be effective clinical biomarkers in patients with mRCC treated with ICIs. Future prospective studies are warranted to validate these findings.

Implications for Practice

This study found that early onset immune-related adverse events (irAEs) are associated with significantly improved clinical outcomes in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). In this site-specific irAE analysis, endocrine irAEs, particularly thyroid irAEs, were significantly associated with improved clinical outcomes. These results have implications for practicing medical oncologists given the increasing use of ICIs for the treatment of mRCC. Importantly, these results suggest that early irAEs and thyroid irAEs at any time on treatment with ICIs may be clinical biomarkers of clinical outcomes in patients with mRCC treated with ICIs.

     

Atezolizumab-associated encephalitis in metastatic breast cancer: A case report

Immune checkpoint inhibitors have been critical in the treatment of advanced malignancies in recent years. Encephalitis caused by atezolizumab is an uncommon immune-related adverse event. The case of a 65-year-old female diagnosed with encephalitis closely associated with atezolizumab medication for metastatic advanced breast cancer is presented in the current study. Following a fourth atezolizumab dose 10 days previously, the patient fell into a deep coma. Initial brain magnetic resonance imaging revealed multiple patchy T2 hyperintensities in the bilateral cerebellar hemisphere, vermis of the cerebellum, bilateral frontal lobe, temporal lobe, parietal lobe and occipital cortex. Meanwhile, there were aberrant signs on diffusion-weighted imaging. The diagnosis of atezolizumab-induced encephalitis seemed probable after ruling out other possible causes of encephalitis. Subsequently, the condition of the patient worsened and there were indications of cardiac and respiratory arrest. Chest compressions were provided immediately, as well as a balloon mask for assisted ventilation, a medication boost, stimulated breathing and other symptomatic therapy. The patient''s vital signs temporarily stabilised after this series of rescue measures. The patient refused further therapy and insisted on being discharged, and died a few days after being discharged from the hospital. In this case, the patient''s encephalitis symptoms associated with atezolizumab were not as typical as previously documented. The patient''s condition swiftly deteriorated to heartbeat apnea, and steroid pulse therapy was not received in a timely manner, resulting in an unfavourable outcome.