Immune-related Adverse Reactions Research Articles

Independent risk factor of drug eruption in immune checkpoint inhibitors treated liver cancer patients: high systemic immune-inflammation index

Purpose The clinical application of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has significantly improved the prognosis of liver cancer patients. However, drug eruption associated with ICI monotherapy or combination therapy not only impacts the quality of life and treatment progress of liver cancer patients but also poses a potential threat to their lives. The study aims to investigate the risk factors of drug eruption in liver cancer patients undergoing ICIs in real-world settings. Methods We retrospectively collected data from liver cancer patients who underwent ICI therapies at the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University between 2021 and 2022. A propensity score matching (PSM) method was employed to match 31 liver cancer patients with ICI-related drug eruption (drug eruption group) to 228 liver cancer patients without immune-related adverse reactions (control group) in a 1:2 ratio, creating two groups of patients with comparable baseline characteristics. Subsequently, logistic regression analysis was then conducted to analyze the clinical risk factors associated with drug eruption caused by ICIs. Results Before PSM, there were statistically significant differences between the drug eruption group (31 cases) and the control group (228 cases) in two variables: Child-Pugh liver function classification and presence of vascular invasion (both p < 0.05). However, after PSM, no statistically significant differences were found in the clinical variables between the drug eruption group (28 cases) and the control group (52 cases). Univariate analysis revealed significantly higher levels of aspartate amino­transferase, alanine aminotransferase, glutamyl transpeptidase, and systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) and a significantly lower rate of liver cancer resection surgery before immunotherapy in liver cancer patients with drug eruption compared to the control group (p < 0.05). Multivariate analysis indicated that an elevated SII level before immunotherapy was significantly associated with the occurrence of drug eruption in liver cancer patients treated with ICIs (p < 0.05). The predictive performance of SII before immunotherapy in liver cancer patients for ICI-related drug eruption yielded an area under the receiver operator characteristic curve of 0.852, with a critical value of 749.189. Sensitivity and specificity were determined as 85.7% and 75%, respectively (p < 0.05). Conclusions Elevated systemic immune-inflammation index is identified as a risk factor for drug eruption occurrence in liver cancer patients treated with ICI therapies.

Analysis of the efficacy and safety of dual immunotherapy in patients with driver gene and programmed death ligand-1 double negative advanced non-small cell lung cancer

Objective: To discuss the efficacy and safety of the dual immunotherapy of nivolumab plus ipilimumab in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who are double negative for driver gene and programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression. Methods: We conducted a retrospective collection of clinical data for 61 patients with advanced NSCLC who were negative for both driver genes and PD-L1 and received dual immunotherapy with nivolumab plus ipilimumab at the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University from January 2019 to June 2023. Based on treatment conditions, patients were divided into first-line and non-first-line dual immunotherapy groups. Patients were followed up monthly, with the follow-up period ending on October 1, 2023. The efficacy was evaluated using Solid Tumor Response Evaluation Criteria, and adverse reactions were assessed according to the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events developed by the National Cancer Institute in the United States. Survival curves were plotted using the Kaplan-Meier method, and the log-rank test was used to compare the differences in progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) between first-line and non-first-line dual immunotherapy patients. The influence factors of PFS were analyzed using a multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression model. Results: Among the 61 NSCLC patients, 49 were male (80.3%), with an age range of 23-88 years [(65.3±7.4) years]. There were 14 cases (23.0%) classified as stage ⅢC and 47 cases (77.0%) classified as stage Ⅳ according to TNM staging. Forty cases (65.6%) received non-first-line treatment. The objective response rate (ORR) was 24.6% (15/61), and the disease control rate (DCR) was 52.5% (32/61). All 61 patients were followed up, with a median follow-up time of 17.8 months. The median PFS was 6.0 months (95%CI: 5.5-6.4 months), and the median OS was 17.0 months (95%CI: 14.8-19.2 months). For patients receiving first-line dual immunotherapy, the median PFS was longer than for those receiving non-first-line dual immunotherapy [7.0 months (95%CI: 6.0-7.9 months) vs 4.0 months (95%CI: 3.3-4.6 months), P<0.001]; similarly, the median OS for patients receiving first-line dual immunotherapy was longer than for those receiving non-first-line dual immunotherapy [19.0 months (95%CI: 18.1-19.9 months) vs 13.0 months (95%CI: 10.8-15.1 months), P<0.001]. Multivariate Cox risk regression model analysis showed that distant tumor metastasis (HR=1.414, 95%CI: 1.253-1.725), non-first-line dual immunotherapy (HR=1.412, 95%CI: 1.184-1.652), and tumor mutation burden<10 mut/Mb (HR=1.328, 95%CI: 1.151-1.546) were risk factors for PFS, while non-squamous carcinoma (HR=0.917, 95%CI: 0.823-0.984) was a protective factor for PFS. Immune-related adverse reactions occurred in 41 cases (67.2%), including 21 cases (32.8%) of grade 3-4 adverse reactions. Eight cases (13.1%) discontinued treatment, and there were no deaths. Conclusions: Dual immunotherapy with nivolumab plus ipilimumab can be a treatment option for driver gene and PD-L1 double-negative advanced NSCLC. Distant tumor metastasis, non-first-line dual immunotherapy, and tumor mutation burden<10 mut/Mb are risk factors affecting patients' PFS, while non-squamous cell carcinoma is a protective factor affecting patients' PFS.

Neoadjuvant serplulimab in combination with concurrent chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced, resectable esophagogastric junction adenocarcinoma.

e16103 Background: Surgery combined with perioperative therapy was recommended as standard treatment for patients with locally advanced esophagogastric junction (EGJ) adenocarcinoma, but the survival rate was still poor. Immunotherapy has shown antitumor activity and an acceptable safety profile in advanced EGJ cancer. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of neoadjuvant Serplulimab combined with concurrent chemoradiotherapy in previously untreated locally advanced resectable EGJ adenocarcinoma. Methods: Eligible patients with resectable EGJ(Siewert Type II and Type III, Siewert classification 2000)adenocarcinoma stage cT3-4 or N+ were enrolled. Patients received neoadjuvant Serplulimab (300mg on day 1) plus SOX(oxaliplatin at 130mg/㎡on day 1; TS1 40-60mg two times per day on D1-D14, Q3W) in first cycle, followed by Serplulimab (300mg on day 1) combined with concurrent chemoradiotherapy (Reduced SOX regimen: oxaliplatin at 100mg/㎡on day 1, TS1 40-60mg two times per day on D1-D14, Q3W; Radiotherapy dose:45Gy in 25f) in second and third cycle. The patient finished the preoperative treatment and rested for 6-8 weeks for surgery. The primary endpoint was pathological complete response (pCR) rate. Secondary endpoints were major pathological response(MPR) rate, R0 resection rate, objective response rate(ORR), disease-free survival(DFS), overall survival(OS), and toxicity. Results: From March 8, 2023 to January 31,2024,15 patients were enrolled. Nine patients completed neoadjuvant therapy. Eight of these patients underwent radical surgical resection. One out of nine achieved a confirmed pathological complete response (pCR) after three cycles of neoadjuvant treatment. Additionally, two out of nine patients achieved major pathological response(MPR). So, the pCR rate was 11.1%, and the MPR rate was 22.2%. The Tumor and Lymph Nodes downstaging rates are 62.5% and 87.5%, respectively. The median DFS and OS were not reached. In terms of safety, fifteen patients who received at least one cycle of neoadjuvant therapy were included. The most common treatment-related adverse events(TRAE) across all grades were nausea/vomiting(6/15), anorexia(5/15), thrombocytopenia(4/15), and fatigue(4/15). Four patients (26.7%) had grade≥3 adverse events during preoperative therapy, with thrombocytopenia(3/15) and hepatic veno-occlusive disease(1/15). Immune-related adverse reactions(irAE) included myositis(1/15) and rash(1/15), both were grade 1. No grade 4 or higher TRAEs were observed. Conclusions: Initial benefits were demonstrated when using Serplulimab with concurrent chemoradiotherapy for the treatment of locally advanced, resectable EGJ adenocarcinoma patients. The efficacy and safety of Serplulimab with chemoradiotherapy will be further investigated in this trial later. Clinical trial information: NCT05918419 .

A phase Ia/b trial of ARX788 combined with toripalimab for HER2-low advanced breast cancer (ABC) and other HER2-expressing solid tumors.

e13159 Background: ARX788 has been proved with superior PFS compared with a combination of capecitabine and lapatinib in the randomized phase Ⅱ/Ⅲ study for HER2-positive ABC (Ambrx, 2023). Here we report the preliminary safety and efficacy of ARX788 plus toripalimab in HER2-low ABC and other HER2-expressing solid tumors. Methods: This was a phase Ⅰ study conducted in China. Eligible patients were HER2-low (IHC2+ and FISH- or IHC1+) ABC or HER2-expressing (IHC 2+ or 3+) solid tumors. Dose exploration with ARX788 is 1.3, 1.5mg/kg, IV, Q3W plus toripalimab 240mg, IV, Q3W. Primary endpoint was safety and RP2D of Ⅰa and efficacy of Ⅰb. Results: Totally, 12 patients were enrolled in phase Ⅰa, 10 patients were diagnosed with ABC, 1 was diagnosed with BTC and 1 was CRC. 6 patients each were treated with 1.3 and 1.5mg/kg. No DLTs were observed. 12 patients (100%) experienced ≥1 ADRs. The most common (≥20%) ADRs were AST increased (75%), platelet count decreased (75%), alopecia (41.67%), white blood cell count decreased (25%), ALT increased (25%), dry eye (25%), interstitial lung disease (25%) and neutrophil count decreased (25%). 1.5mg/kg dose level showed a slightly higher incidence in hematologic toxicities, interstitial lung disease and alopecia. Grade 3 ADRs occurred in 8 patients (66.67%) with equal incidence of the 2 dose levels, those were ocular events (41.7%, 2 of each level), interstitial lung disease (8.3%, 1 of 1.5mg/kg), platelet count decreased (8.3%, 1 of 1.5mg/kg), jaundice (8.3%, 1 of 1.3mg/kg) and immune-mediated myocarditis (8.3%, 1 of 1.3mg/kg). No grade 4 or 5 ADRs occurred. All ADRs were manageable and have recovered. ORR was 41.7% in 12 patients, with 33.3% and 50% in 1.3 and 1.5mg/kg dose level. In 10 patients with ABC, ORR was 50%, with 40% and 60% in each level. DCR was 83.33% and 100%, respectively. Thus, 1.5mg/kg was determined as RP2D and phase Ⅰb is ongoing with HER2-low ABC patients. Conclusions: ARX788 with 1.5mg/kg combined with toripalimab was shown acceptable safety profile with promising efficacy, no significant increase in adverse reactions or serious unexpected immune-related adverse reactions compared with ARX788 monotherapy, which supports further evaluation for HER2-low ABC in a larger sample in Ⅰb trial. Clinical trial information: CTR20222247.

The efficacy and safety of toripalimab combined with anlotinib in the first-line treatment of Chinese patients with metastatic melanoma.

9560 Background: Acral, mucosal and non-CSD melanoma are the major subtypes in Chinese melanoma patients, with poor response to antiprogrammed cell death-1 (PD-1) monotherapy. Anti PD-1 monoclonal antibodies combined with anti-angiogenesis agent have showed synergistic effects mechanically and a promising response rate. Here, we report efficacy and safety of toripalimab combined with anlotinib in Chinese patients with metastatic melanoma. Methods: Patients with metastatic acral, mucosal and non-CSD melanoma received toripalimab 240mg intravenously every 3 weeks combined with anlotinib 12 mg orally once a day for first 2 weeks every 3 weeks as first-line treatment, until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. All patients were enrolled from the Cancer Center of Union Hospital, affiliated to Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology and Hunan Cancer Hospital. Results: From January 2021 to January 2024, a total of 47 patients were enrolled in this study. Subtypes were 16 patients with acral melanoma, 21 patients with mucosal melanoma, and 10 patients with non-CSD melanoma. Average age was 59.7 ±10.1 years old. The median follow-up was 26.5 months (95% CI: 20.6, 32.4 months). Among the 46 efficacy evaluable patients, the objective response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR) were 23.9% and 80.4%, respectively. Median duration of response was 14.4 months (95% CI: 7.5, 21.3). The median progression-free survival (PFS) of all 47 patients was 5.7 months (95% CI 4.2 to 7.2 months); and the median OS was 14.4 months (95% CI 7.3 to 21.5 months). The median PFS of patients with M1a stage is 24.4 months, statistically longer than M1b (5.1 months), M1c (6.6 months) and M1d (4.0 months). The median PFS of acral, mucosal and non-CSD melanoma were 6.6m, 5.1m, 5.2m respectively with no statistical difference, and these is no difference of PFS between gender and age. In terms of safety, treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) for all grades occurred in 76.6% (36/47) of patients, and grade 3 or 4 occurred in 4.3% (2/47) of patients. The incidence of immune-related adverse reactions (irAE) was 23.4% (11/47) for all grades, the most common irAEs (≥2%) included hypothyroidism, immune-associated hepatitis and rash. Conclusions: Toripalimab combined with anlotinib displays good efficacy and well-tolerant safety profiles in the treatment of patients with metastatic melanoma. Further biomarker analysis was ongoing.

Pituitary-related immune adverse events induced by programmed death Protein-1 inhibitors differ clinically from hypophysitis.

We aimed to elucidate the clinical features of pituitary immune-related adverse events (irAEs) induced by PD-1 inhibitors in a Chinese cohort and the previous literatures. We retrospectively analysed the clinical manifestations, laboratory examination findings, imaging features and treatments of 14 patients with pituitary irAEs caused by PD-1 inhibitors in our cohort. In addition, we searched PubMed for all English articles on pituitary irAEs induced by PD-1 inhibitors published from 1950 to 2023. A total of 47 articles were included, and the clinical characteristics of 94 patients with pituitary irAEs induced by PD-1 inhibitors in these literatures were compared to the characteristics of our cohort. Among the 14 patients in our cohort with pituitary irAEs induced by PD-1 inhibitors, 12 patients (85.71%, 12/14) exhibited isolated ACTH deficiency (IAD), 100.0% (14/14) of the central adrenocortical insufficiency, and 2 patients showed more than one hypothalamic-pituitary axis injury (14.29%, 2/14). Pituitary magnetic resonance imaging in all the 14 patients showed no pituitary enlargement. In previous studies we reviewed, 82.98% of the total (78/94) presented with pituitary irAEs as IAD, 100.0% (94/94) of the central adrenocortical insufficiency, and 78.33% of the patients showed no abnormality of the pituitary gland (47/60). The pituitary irAEs caused by PD-1 inhibitors did not involve typical manifestations of hypophysitis, such as pituitary enlargement, headache, visual field defects, and multiple pituitary function impairments in our cohort and the previous literatures. In our study, pituitary immune-related adverse reactions induced by PD-1 inhibitors mainly manifested isolated ACTH deficiency rather than hypophysitis.

Prognostic analysis of related factors of adverse reactions to immunotherapy in advanced gastric cancer and establishment of a nomogram model.

Immunotherapy for advanced gastric cancer has attracted widespread attention in recent years. However, the adverse reactions of immunotherapy and its relationship with patient prognosis still need further study. In order to determine the association between adverse reaction factors and prognosis, the aim of this study was to conduct a systematic prognostic analysis. By comprehensively evaluating the clinical data of patients with advanced gastric cancer treated by immunotherapy, a nomogram model will be established to predict the survival status of patients more accurately. To explore the characteristics and predictors of immune-related adverse reactions (irAEs) in advanced gastric cancer patients receiving immunotherapy with programmed death protein-1 (PD-1) inhibitors and to analyze the correlation between irAEs and patient prognosis. A total of 140 patients with advanced gastric cancer who were treated with PD-1 inhibitors in our hospital from June 2021 to October 2023 were selected. Patients were divided into the irAEs group and the non-irAEs group according to whether or not irAEs occurred. Clinical features, manifestations, and prognosis of irAEs in the two groups were collected and analyzed. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to analyze the related factors affecting the occurrence of irAEs, and the prediction model of irAEs was established. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the ability of different indicators to predict irAEs. A Kaplan-Meier survival curve was used to analyze the correlation between irAEs and prognosis. The Cox proportional risk model was used to analyze the related factors affecting the prognosis of patients. A total of 132 patients were followed up, of whom 63 (47.7%) developed irAEs. We looked at the two groups' clinical features and found that the two groups were statistically different in age ≥ 65 years, Ki-67 index, white blood cell count, neutrophil count, and regulatory T cell (Treg) count (all P < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that Treg count was a protective factor affecting irAEs occurrence (P = 0.030). The ROC curve indicated that Treg + Ki-67 + age (≥ 65 years) combined could predict irAEs well (area under the curve = 0.753, 95% confidence interval: 0.623-0.848, P = 0.001). Results of the Kaplan-Meier survival curve showed that progression-free survival (PFS) was longer in the irAEs group than in the non-irAEs group (P = 0.001). Cox proportional hazard regression analysis suggested that the occurrence of irAEs was an independent factor for PFS (P = 0.006). The number of Treg cells is a separate factor that affects irAEs in advanced gastric cancer patients receiving PD-1 inhibitor immunotherapy. irAEs can affect the patients' PFS and result in longer PFS. Treg + Ki-67 + age (≥ 65 years old) combined can better predict the occurrence of adverse reactions.

Nanodrug Delivery Systems in Antitumor Immunotherapy.

Cancer has become one of the most important factors threatening human health, and the global cancer burden has been increasing rapidly. Immunotherapy has become another clinical research hotspot after surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy because of its high efficiency and tumor metastasis prevention. However, problems such as lower immune response rate and immune-related adverse reaction in the clinical application of immunotherapy need to be urgently solved. With the development of nanodrug delivery systems, various nanocarrier materials have been used in the research of antitumor immunotherapy with encouraging therapeutic results. In this review, we mainly summarized the combination of nanodrug delivery systems and immunotherapy from the following 4 aspects: (a) nanodrug delivery systems combined with cytokine therapy to improve cytokines delivery invivo; (b) nanodrug delivery systems provided a suitable platform for the combination of immune checkpoint blockade therapy with other tumor treatments; (c) nanodrug delivery systems helped deliver antigens and adjuvants for tumor vaccines to enhance immune effects; and (d) nanodrug delivery systems improved tumor treatment efficiency and reduced toxicity for adoptive cell therapy. Nanomaterials chosen by researchers to construct nanodrug delivery systems and their function were also introduced in detail. Finally, we discussed the current challenges and future prospects in combining nanodrug delivery systems with immunotherapy.

Real-world evidence study on the early use of cemiplimab in the UK: REACT-CEMI (Real World evidence of advanced CSCC treatment with cemiplimab).

Cemiplimab was licensed in the United Kingdom (UK) in 2019 for the treatment of patients with locally advanced and metastatic CSCC not suitable for curative surgery or radiotherapy (advanced CSCC [aCSCC]). No UK multi-center studies have investigated the real-world experience of cemiplimab post marketing authorization in aCSCC. This non-interventional retrospective study (10 UK centers) involved data collection from medical records of patients with aCSCC who initiated cemiplimab treatment between 2 July 2019 and 30 November 2020. The study period was a minimum of 12 and a maximum of 36 months post cemiplimab initiation. The primary objective was to describe the real-world clinical effectiveness of cemiplimab (primary outcome: overall response rate [ORR]). Of 105 patients, 70% (n=73/105) were male (median [range] age at index of 78.5 [55.4-93.2] years); most patients (63% [n=50/80]) had an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) score of 1 and 62% (n=63/102) had metastatic disease. The ORR within 12 months was 42% (95% confidence interval [CI] 32%-51%) and the disease control rate was 62% (n=65/105). The median (95% CI) real-world progression-free survival and overall survival from index was 8.6 (6.0-18.7) and 21.0 (14.7-25.2) months, respectively. The median (range) number of cemiplimab infusions was 11.0 (1.0-44.0). Eighty-seven percent experienced no cemiplimab treatment interruptions; 13% (n=14/105) interrupted treatment due to immune-related adverse reactions (irARs) (47% [n=9/19] of treatment interruption events). Eighty-five percent (n=89/105) of patients had discontinued cemiplimab treatment by the end of the study; where reasons for discontinuation were recorded, 20% (n=17/87) discontinued due to the completion of their 2-year treatment course. Nineteen percent (n=20/105) of patients experienced irARs. Effectiveness and safety data in this study are broadly similar to previous real-world studies of cemiplimab and the EMPOWER-CSCC1 clinical trial; with our cohort representing a broader population (included immunocompromised and transplant patients). Results support the use of cemiplimab for the treatment of aCSCC in a real-world setting.

Management of Adverse Reactions Related to Lenvatinib Plus Pembrolizumab Treatment Among Patients With Renal Cell Carcinoma

Renal cell carcinoma is the predominant histological type of kidney cancer with historically poor patient outcomes. Lenvatinib in combination with pembrolizumab is an approved first-line regimen for people with advanced renal cell carcinoma that showed clinically meaningful improvements in efficacy over sunitinib in the CLEAR trial; however, reduced patient exposure to treatment (often stemming from adverse reactions) is a potential therapeutic barrier that must be addressed. Here, we present management strategies for adverse reactions associated with this treatment combination: fatigue, diarrhea, musculoskeletal pain, hypertension, stomatitis, decreased appetite, rash, nausea, and proteinuria.Dosing modification of lenvatinib and pembrolizumab should be made according to the prescribing information for each medication. Clinicians should consider that some adverse reactions, such as diarrhea, may be attributable to lenvatinib, or may be a symptom of immune-related adverse reactions to pembrolizumab (such as colitis). Adverse reactions can generally be managed by: (1) advising the patient on precautionary measures (eg, for stomatitis, practice dental hygiene, avoid irritating foods, and maintain adequate hydration), (2) monitoring for changes in symptoms from baseline (eg, changes in bowel movements, blood pressure or level of fatigue), (3) interrupting/dose reducing lenvatinib or interrupting pembrolizumab, if warranted, and advising the patient to manage their current symptoms via self-care (managing diarrhea with antidiarrheal agents and hydration), and (4) implementing medical interventions (eg, thyroid replacement or antihypertensive therapy) when needed.Through successful management of adverse reactions, oncology clinicians can improve the well-being of their patients and likely enhance adherence rates to treatment with lenvatinib and pembrolizumab.

Abstract 16689: Stress Cardiomypoathy in the Patient on Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors; a Pharmacovigilance Study From 2013-2023 FAERS Database

Introduction: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are a form of immunotherapy widely used in the treatment of different cancers. These inhibitors function by blocking specific proteins, such as PD-1 (programmed cell death protein 1) or CTLA-4 (cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4), which regulate the immune response. While ICIs have demonstrated significant benefits, they can also lead to immune-related adverse drug reactions (ADRs). Although rare, cardiac immune-related ADRs are associated with high mortality rates. Hypothesis: The aim of this study to investigate the potential association between stress cardiomyopathy and the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors. Methods: We conducted an analysis using individual case safety reports obtained from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) Database. These reports encompassed the period from the marketing authorization of each specific ICIs (ipilimumab, nivolumab, pembrolizumab, atezolizumab, durvalumab, avelumab, and cemiplimab) up until March 2023. The synthesized data was further examined based on outcome severity, age, and gender. Results: Among 9,772 individual cardiac adverse events associated with immune checkpoint inhibitors, 121 cases (1.2%) of stress cardiomyopathy were reported from 2013 to 2023. The highest occurrence of stress cardiomyopathy adverse events (57.8%) was observed in the age group of 65-85 , compared to 26.4% in the age group of 14-64. Females were more frequently affected, accounting for 55.3% of the cases, while males constituted 41.3%. The three most commonly reported ICIs associated with stress cardiomyopathy were pembrolizumab (39.6%), nivolumab (33.8%), and ipilimumab (16.5%). Among the 121 cases, 19% resulted in mortality, while 26.5% had life-threatening outcomes. Additionally, 79.3% of cases required hospitalization, 5.7% experienced disability, and 57.8% had outcomes that were not characterized. Conclusions: Immune checkpoint inhibitor-induced cardiac ADRs, specifically stress cardiomyopathy, were found to be serious and associated with unfavorable outcomes. Physicians should remain vigilant regarding cardiac symptoms in patients receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors, as early detection can improve overall outcomes.

Advance of immune checkpoint inhibitors in CNS disease

Immune checkpoint inhibitors, innovative immunotherapies that include programmed cell death 1, programmed cell death ligand 1, and cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen 4 inhibitors, have achieved unprecedented benefits in a variety of malignancies. Activation of immune response in body organs may cause immune-related adverse reactions involving the central nervous system. There is growing evidence that immune checkpoint plays an important role in the central nervous system. Immune checkpoints play key roles in regulating the immune response of the central nervous system in a variety of situations, and immune checkpoint modulators are promising therapeutic agents for the treatment of central nervous system disorders such as brain tumors, Alzheimer's disease, ischemic stroke, multiple sclerosis and cognitive function. Further understanding of immune checkpoints signaling of cell types such as glial cells, neurons, and peripheral immune cells in the central nervous system will provide clues to immune regulation and barrier-breaking strategies for treating brain diseases. This article will discuss the application of common immune checkpoints in the treatment of central nervous system diseases, especially programmed cell death protein-1 and cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated protein 4.

A phase I study of subcutaneous envafolimab (KN035) monotherapy in Chinese patients with advanced solid tumors

Objective: To evaluate the safety and antitumor activity of envafolimab monotherapy in Chinese patients with advanced solid tumors. Methods: This open-label, multicenter phase I trial included dose escalation and dose expansion phases. In the dose escalation phase, patients received subcutaneous 0.1, 0.3, 1.0, 2.5, 5.0 or 10.0 mg/kg envafolimab once weekly (QW) following a modified "3+ 3" design. The dose expansion phase was performed in the 2.5 mg/kg and 5.0 mg/kg (QW) dose cohorts. Results: At November 25, 2019, a total of 287 patients received envafolimab treatment. During the dose escalation phase, no dose-limiting toxicities (DLT) was observed. In all dose cohorts, drug-related treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) for all grades occurred in 75.3% of patients, and grade 3 or 4 occurred in 20.6% of patients. The incidence of immune-related adverse reactions (irAE) was 24.0% for all grades, the most common irAEs (≥2%) included hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, immune-associated hepatitis and rash. The incidence of injection site reactions was low (3.8%), all of which were grades 1-2. Among the 216 efficacy evaluable patients, the objective response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR) were 11.6% and 43.1%, respectively. Median duration of response was 49.1 weeks (95% CI: 24.0, 49.3). Pharmacokinetic (PK) exposure to envafolimab is proportional to dose and median time to maximum plasma concentration is 72-120 hours based on the PK results from the dose escalation phase of the study. Conclusion: Subcutaneous envafolimab has a favorable safety and promising preliminary anti-tumor activity in Chinese patients with advanced solid tumors.

Efficacy and safety of fourth-generation CD19 CAR-T expressing IL7 and CCL19 along with PD-1 monoclonal antibody for relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma

Objective: This study systematically explore the efficacy and safety of fourth-generation chimeric antigen receptor T-cells (CAR-T), which express interleukin 7 (IL7) and chemokine C-C motif ligand 19 (CCL19) and target CD19, in relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma. Methods: Our center applied autologous 7×19 CAR-T combined with tirelizumab to treat 11 patients with relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma. The efficacy and adverse effects were explored. Results: All 11 enrolled patients completed autologous 7×19 CAR-T preparation and infusion. Nine patients completed the scheduled six sessions of tirolizumab treatment, one completed four sessions, and one completed one session. Furthermore, five cases (45.5%) achieved complete remission, and three cases (27.3%) achieved partial remission with an objective remission rate of 72.7%. Two cases were evaluated for disease progression, and one died two months after reinfusion because of uncontrollable disease. The median follow-up time was 31 (2-34) months, with a median overall survival not achieved and a median progression-free survival of 28 (1-34) months. Two patients with partial remission achieved complete remission at the 9th and 12th months of follow-up. Therefore, the best complete remission rate was 63.6%. Cytokine-release syndrome and immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome were controllable, and no immune-related adverse reactions occurred. Conclusion: Autologous 7×19 CAR-T combined with tirelizumab for treating relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma achieved good efficacy with controllable adverse reactions.

Real-world data of immunotherapy from China in recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

PurposeImmune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have become a standard therapy for recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (R/MHNSCC), however, there are still unanswered questions about immunotherapy. Furthermore, immunotherapy for R/MHNSCC of the mainland Chinese population are lacking. The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of ICIs in real-world settings in China. Materials and methodsWe retrospectively reviewed 59 patients with R/MHNSCC who received immunotherapy between May 2019 and December 2021. We assessed demographics, efficacy, survival and safety. ResultsFifty-nine patients were included in the study, all of whom had R/MHNSCC affecting the oral cavity, oropharynx, hypopharynx, larynx, nasal cavity, paranasal sinuses and metastatic cancer in the neck with an unknown primary. The objective response rate (ORR) for all patients was found to be 40.6 %. Out of these patients, 11 patients achieved a complete response and 13 achieved a partial response. The median progression-free survival (PFS) was calculated to be 10.64 months (range: 1.15–29.24 months), while the median overall survival (OS) was 21.75 months (range 2.0–37.55 months). The addition of local radiotherapy resulted in higher ORR and PFS compared to previous reports. Notably, patients with R/MHNSCC in the paranasal sinuses and nasal cavity also showed benefits from immunotherapy. Additionally, patients who achieved stable disease (SD) had similar survival rates to those who achieved partial response (PR), indicating that SD is also an indicator of clinical benefit from immunotherapy. The overall incidence of immune-related adverse reactions in this study was low, with fatigue and rash being the most common side effects. ConclusionThese findings highlight the effectiveness and safety of immunotherapy for R/MHNSCC in a real-world setting in China. Further investigation is warranted to explore the potential benefits of incorporating local radiotherapy into the treatment of R/MHNSCC.

RETIFANLIMAB-INDUCED THYROID GLAND DYSFUNCTION AND COLITIS (CASE REPORT)

Immunotherapy is a modern and effective method of treating malignant neoplasms. Retifanlimab is a humanized and stabilized immunoglobulin G4κ monoclonal antibody that binds to PD-1. The drug has been proven to effectively treat cervical cancer and squamous cell tumors of the anal canal caused by the human papillomavirus. Phase III studies of the effectiveness and safety of this monoclonal antibody in patients with non-small cell lung cancer is currently underway.&#x0D; Patients treated with immunotherapy have an increased risk of developing immune-related adverse events. The most common immune-related side effects in the patient after taking retifanlimab were thyroid gland disorders, itching, pneumonitis and skin rash. In this article, we would like to present a case report of a combined immune-related thyroid and colon dysfunction induced by retifanlimab.&#x0D; Materials and methods. We collected clinical data and laboratory results of a patient with advanced stage of non-small cell lung cancer. A 59-year-old male patient had disease progression after first-line chemotherapy. He received retifanlimab as second-line therapy at 375 mg intravenously every three weeks.&#x0D; The results. The first laboratory symptoms of thyroid gland dysfunction began after 36 weeks of taking retifanlimab. After 42 weeks, a laboratory picture of hyperthyroidism was observed with a critically low level of TSH and a high level of T4. In addition, the patient reported diarrhea 7–8 times a day for the last seven days. Immune-related adverse events (colitis grade 3 and hyperthyroidism grade 1) were suspected. The administration of retifanlimab was temporarily discontinued. 750 mg of methylprednisolone was administered once over 60 minutes. The patient's general condition was significantly improved the next day, and prednisolone was prescribed orally at a dose of 2 mg/kg/day. On the second day, diarrhea recurred twice; on the third, the stool returned to normal. Hormone levels were gradually normalized until week 46.&#x0D; Discussion. Immune-related adverse events may occur as a result of taking any monoclonal antibodies. Early diagnosis and therapy of immune-related adverse reactions is the key to the safe and effective use of PD-1/PD-L1-blocking antibodies.&#x0D; Immune-related colitis occurred in 1.6% of patients treated with retifanlimab. Hyperthyroidism was observed in 4.3%.&#x0D; Thyroid disorders that correspond to 1 or 2 grades of severity are common. Therefore patients do not require any medication therapy, or endocrine therapy can be used. However, 13% of patients required systemic corticosteroid therapy. Antihyperthyroidism therapy or corticosteroids (oral prednisolone 1–2 mg/kg/day) are prescribed only when clinical symptoms appear and, accordingly, the severity of the disease is 2 or 3. It is possible to prescribe high-dose steroid therapy.&#x0D; The appointment of loperamide is sufficient for the initial symptoms of colitis. Therefore, monoclonal antibodies are not discontinued. However, more severe cases require systemic corticosteroids and temporary drug withdrawal. When life-threatening conditions develop, immunotherapy is permanently discontinued.&#x0D; Conclusions. Immunotherapy is always associated with risk of developing immune-related side effects. Depending on the grade of severity, they require different treatment options. Targeted monitoring of laboratory results and clinical symptoms is the key to safe treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors.

The prognosis value of CONUT and SIS score for recurrent or metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients treated with second-line immunotherapy.

To investigate the predictive value of Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) score and systemic inflammation (SIS) score in the prognosis, short-term efficacy, and immune-related side effects of patient with recurrent or metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (R/M ESCC) receiving immunotherapy as second line therapy combined with or without radiotherapy. Forty-eight patients with R/M ESCC who received second-line therapy with Camrelizumab were retrospectively studied. They were divided into the high and low score groups according to the CONUT and SIS score. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to analyze factors that might affect patient prognosis and the effects of different CONUT score and SIS on the short-term efficacy and immune-related toxic and side effects of patients. The 1- and 2-year overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) rates were 42.9% and 22.5%, and 29.0% and 5.8%, respectively. The CONUT score ranged from 0 to 6 (3.31 ± 1.43), whereas the SIS score ranged from 0 to 2 (1.19 ± 0.73). Multivariate analysis showed that treatment related toxicity, number of cycles of Camrelizumab used, short-term effect and SIS score were independent prognostic factors for OS (P=0.044, 0.021, 0.021, 0.030, respectively), whereas SIS and CONUT scores were independent prognostic factors for PFS (P=0.005, 0.047, respectively). Patients with low CONUT/SIS score had a low incidence rate of immune-related adverse reactions (X2=9.735, 5.693; P=0.002, 0.017) and better short-term efficacy (X2=4.427, 7.438; P=0.035, 0.006). R/M ESCC patients with low CONUT/SIS score have better prognosis, higher objective response rate, lower incidence of immune-related toxic and side effects after receiving immunotherapy as second-line therapy. CONUT scores and SIS scores may be reliable prognostic indicators for patient receiving immunotherapy as second-line therapy for R/M ESCC.

Analysis of cytokines in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in patients with checkpoint inhibitor pneumonitis and pulmonary infection: A case-control study.

The discovery of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) is a breakthrough in the field of cancer therapy. However, ICIs may cause immune-related adverse reactions, including checkpoint inhibitor-related pneumonitis (CIP). The aim of this study was to investigate cytokines in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of patients with CIP compared with patients with pulmonary infection and patients with cancer. We retrospectively analyzed 34 cytokine levels and T cell subsets in BALF supernatant samples from ICI-treated patients with CIP (n = 13), pulmonary infection (n = 10), and progressive cancer (n = 12). Cytokine levels and T cell subsets were compared among the three groups of patients. We observed significantly higher levels of IFN-γ-induced protein 10(IP-10) (p = 0.002), and percentage of CD3 + CD8 + T cells (p = 0.020) in BALF of patients with CIP compared with the other two groups. However, we found significantly lower levels of interleukin-21 (p = 0.008) in BALF of patients with progressive disease compared with the other two groups. Cytokine profile and character of cell subsets in BALF was helpful for the differential diagnosis of CIP. IP-10 may play an important role in pathophysiology for CIP and also be a potential therapeutic target.

Surgical outcomes and patient-reported outcomes of unresectable stage III non-small cell lung cancer patients who underwent PD-1 inhibitor plus chemo as induction therapy.

e20570 Background: For locally advanced unresectable NSCLC, studies of PD-1 inhibitor plus chemo as induction therapy and its roles on subsequent surgical resection are still limited. In this study, a consecutive series of unresectable stage III NSCLC patients were collected to investigate the surgical outcome and postoperative symptom changes in locally advanced patients who received adjuvant chemotherapy combined with immunotherapy. Methods: 92 locally advanced NSCLC patients received 2-4 cycles of chemotherapy combined with immunotherapy. Surgical rates, major pathologic remissions(MPR), pathologic complete remissions(PCR), postoperative complications, and immune-related adverse reactions(irAEs) were assesd. The follow-up of symptoms was performed during treatment and within 3 months postoperatively, and symptom changes were described based on patient-reported outcomes. Results: 26.09% of patients developed irAEs, the most common was skin toxicity, followed by thyroid dysfunction. 71.74% of patients underwent surgical resection. 63.64% (42/66) achieved MPR and PCR, of which 37.87% (25/66) were PCR. Most of these patients have clinical symptoms at the time of presentation, mainly cough (90%), and after treatment, cough is significantly reduced compared with before treatment. After treatment, the cough was significantly reduced compared with before treatment , nausea and vomiting , loss of appetite , dry mouth , and diarrhea were increased or aggravated. The most common symptoms on the first day after operation included pain (90%), shortness of breath (62.5%), fatigue (45%), cough (42.5%), and dry mouth (37.5%). On the third day after surgery, the incidence and severity of each symptom changed significantly, pain and dry mouth decreased significantly compared with before, cough, shortness of breath, and fatigue worsened and the incidence increased. Pain remains the most severe symptom in the early postoperative period, with the most severe on the first day after operation and then reduced, returning to preoperative levels 1.5 months after surgery. Cough was the main symptom at the time of presentation, which was significantly reduced after preoperative treatment, and the incidence and severity of postoperative cough increased significantly compared with preoperative treatment and returned to the preoperative level within 1 week after surgery. Dyspnea lasts long after surgery. Two weeks after surgery, shortness of breath (dyspnea) becomes the most obvious symptom. Conclusions: Preoperative chemotherapy combined with immunotherapy provides more opportunities for radical resection in locally advanced NSCLC patients. The most common postoperative symptoms are pain, dyspnea, cough, and fatigue; dyspnea is the symptom that affects patients the most and lasts the longest after surgery.

Tislelizumab (Tisle) combined with/without gemcitabine and cisplatin (GC) as adjuvant therapy in patients at high risk after upper urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) surgery: A real-world study.

e16592 Background: In China, UTUC affects 9.3% - 19.9% of urothelial carcinoma(UC) patients(Pts), comparing to 5%-10% in western countries. Radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) is the standard of care for locally advanced UTUC; however, patient prognosis remains suboptimal, and previous studies have shown a controversial survival benefit of postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy in pts with UTUC. Immune checkpoint inhibitors(ICI) have been demonstrated to improve disease-free survival (DFS) in pts after adjuvant therapy for UC, but the data from UTUC studies is limited. This study is intended to evaluate real-world study data on whether Tisle with/without GC is able to achieve better survival benefit in pts with UTUC. Methods: UTUC pts with clinical diagnosis of T1N1 or T2-T4aN0-1M0, ECOG ps of 0-1, could tolerate surgery and had adequate renal functional reserve after surgery. Enrolled pts underwent RNU surgery and adjuvant therapy was started within 90 days after surgery. ICI: 200 mg in day1(D1), Q3w regimen, when to discontinue the drug was assessed by clinicians, and the reasons for disease progression and intolerable toxicity; GC chemotherapy: gemcitabine 1000 mg/m2 D1, D8, cisplatin 70 mg/m2 D2, up to 6 (0-6) cycles. Primary endpoint: 3-year Overall survival (OS) rate; secondary endpoints included 5-year OS rate, tumor-related survival (CSS) and safety. Results: A total of 60 pts received the above treatment from Jan 2020 to Dec 2022, of whom 5 pts were considered to have metastases at initial diagnosis at further evaluation and were finally evaluated for safety only. Fifty-five pts were evaluable for response, with a median follow-up time of 21.5 (3-33) months, and 70.91% (39/55) of pts were followed up for more than 12 months. The OS rate was 93.14% at 1 year and 76.21% at 2 years. Tisle was administered for a median of 6 (1-14) cycles, with a 7.19% and 24.79% lower risk of death at 1 and 2 years in pts with Tisle ≥ 3 cycles compared with pts with Tisle &lt; 3 cycles (HR: 0.368, 95% CI (0.076-1.781); p = 0.162). GC was administered for a median of 3 (0-6) cycles, with a 3.7% and 24.8% lower risk of death at 1 and 2 years in pts with GC＞2 cycles compared with pts with GC≤2 cycles (HR: 0.218, 95% CI (0.045-0.970); p = 0.110). The incidence of treatment-related adverse reactions (trAEs) of any grade was 91.64%; the incidence of trAEs of grade 3-4 was 18.33%, mainly manifested as leukopenic, gastrointestinal reaction and thrombocytopenia. The incidence of immune-related adverse reactions (irAEs) was 25%, and no irAEs of grade 3 or higher were found. The enrollment and follow-up of the present study are currently ongoing. Conclusions: Encouraging efficacy data and safety have been preliminarily observed with adjuvant Tisle with/without GC chemotherapy in high-risk pts after UTUC surgery. Final results also need to be observed in further studies.