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Cui Y, Han X, Liu H, Xie Q, Guan Y, Yin B, Xiao J, Feng D, Wang X, Li J, Chen J, Liu X, Li X, Nie W, Ma L, Liu H, Liang J, Li Y, Wang B, Wang J. Impact of endogenous glucocorticoid on response to immune checkpoint blockade in patients with advanced cancer. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1081790. [PMID: 37114049 PMCID: PMC10126286 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1081790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Previous studies indicate that exogenous use of glucocorticoid (GC) affects immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) efficacy. However, there is a paucity of clinical data evaluating the direct impact of endogenous GC on the efficacy for cancer patients with immune checkpoint blockade. Methods We first compared the endogenous circulating GC levels in healthy individuals and patients with cancer. We next retrospectively reviewed patients with advanced cancer with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor alone or combination therapy in a single center. The effects of baseline circulating GC levels on objective response rate (ORR), durable clinical benefit (DCB), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) were analyzed. The association of the endogenous GC levels with circulating lymphocytes, cytokines levels, and neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio, and tumor infiltrating immune cells, were systematically analyzed. Results The endogenous GC levels in advanced cancer patients were higher than those in early-stage cancer patients as well as healthy people. In the advanced cancer cohort with immune checkpoint blockade (n=130), patients with high baseline endogenous GC levels (n=80) had a significantly reduced ORR (10.0% vs 40.0%; p<0.0001) and DCB (35.0% vs 73.5%, p=0.001) compared to those with low endogenous GC levels (n=50). The increased GC levels was significantly associated with reduced PFS (HR 2.023; p=0.0008) and OS (HR 2.809; p=0.0005). Moreover, statistically significant differences regarding PFS, and OS were also detected after propensity score matching. In a multivariable model, the endogenous GC was identified as an independent indicator for predicting PFS (HR 1.779; p=0.012) and OS (HR 2.468; p=0.013). High endogenous GC levels were significantly associated with reduced lymphocytes (p=0.019), increased neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (p=0.0009), and increased interleukin-6 levels (p=0.025). Patients with high levels of endogenous GC had low numbers of tumor infiltrating CD3+ (p=0.001), CD8+ T (p=0.059), and CD4+ T (p=0.002) cells, and the numbers of circulating PD-1+ NK cells (p=0.012), and the ratio of CD8+PD-1+ to CD4+PD-1+ (p=0.031) were higher in patients with high levels of endogenous GC compared to low levels of endogenous GC. Conclusion Baseline endogenous GC increase executes a comprehensive negative effect on immunosurveillance and response to immunotherapy in real-world cancer patients accompanied with cancer progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Cui
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Jinan, China
- Shandong Lung Cancer Institute, Jinan, China
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Rheumatic Disease and Translational Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Xinyue Han
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Jinan, China
- Shandong Lung Cancer Institute, Jinan, China
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Rheumatic Disease and Translational Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Hongtao Liu
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Jinan, China
| | - Qi Xie
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Jinan, China
- Shandong Lung Cancer Institute, Jinan, China
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Rheumatic Disease and Translational Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Yaping Guan
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Jinan, China
- Shandong Lung Cancer Institute, Jinan, China
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Rheumatic Disease and Translational Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Beibei Yin
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Jinan, China
- Shandong Lung Cancer Institute, Jinan, China
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Rheumatic Disease and Translational Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Junjuan Xiao
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Jinan, China
- Shandong Lung Cancer Institute, Jinan, China
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Rheumatic Disease and Translational Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Dongfeng Feng
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Jinan, China
- Shandong Lung Cancer Institute, Jinan, China
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Rheumatic Disease and Translational Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Xuan Wang
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Jinan, China
- Shandong Lung Cancer Institute, Jinan, China
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Rheumatic Disease and Translational Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Junwei Li
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Jinan, China
- Shandong Lung Cancer Institute, Jinan, China
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Rheumatic Disease and Translational Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Jinghua Chen
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Jinan, China
- Shandong Lung Cancer Institute, Jinan, China
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Rheumatic Disease and Translational Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Xiaolin Liu
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Jinan, China
- Shandong Lung Cancer Institute, Jinan, China
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Rheumatic Disease and Translational Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Xingyu Li
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Jinan, China
- Shandong Lung Cancer Institute, Jinan, China
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Rheumatic Disease and Translational Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Weiwei Nie
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Jinan, China
- Shandong Lung Cancer Institute, Jinan, China
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Rheumatic Disease and Translational Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Lin Ma
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Jinan, China
- Shandong Lung Cancer Institute, Jinan, China
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Rheumatic Disease and Translational Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Hairong Liu
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Jinan, China
- Shandong Lung Cancer Institute, Jinan, China
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Rheumatic Disease and Translational Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Jing Liang
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Jinan, China
- Shandong Lung Cancer Institute, Jinan, China
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Rheumatic Disease and Translational Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Yan Li
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Jinan, China
- Shandong Lung Cancer Institute, Jinan, China
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Rheumatic Disease and Translational Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Baocheng Wang
- Department of Oncology, The 960th Hospital, The PEOPLE’s Liberation Army, Jinan, China
| | - Jun Wang
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Jinan, China
- Shandong Lung Cancer Institute, Jinan, China
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Rheumatic Disease and Translational Medicine, Jinan, China
- *Correspondence: Jun Wang,
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Guan Y, Feng D, Yin B, Li K, Wang J. Immune-related dissociated response as a specific atypical response pattern in solid tumors with immune checkpoint blockade. Ther Adv Med Oncol 2022; 14:17588359221096877. [PMID: 35547094 PMCID: PMC9083034 DOI: 10.1177/17588359221096877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Immune checkpoint blockade using immune checkpoint inhibitors, including cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen–4 and programmed cell death protein-1/programmed cell death ligand–1 inhibitors, has revolutionized systematic treatment for advanced solid tumors, with unprecedented survival benefit and tolerable toxicity. Nivolumab, pembrolizumab, cemiplimab, avelumab, durvalumab, atezolizumab, and ipilimumab are currently approved standard treatment options for various human cancer types. The response rate to immune checkpoint inhibitors, however, is unsatisfactory, and unexpectedly, atypical radiological responses, including delayed responses, pseudoprogression, hyperprogression, and dissociated responses (DRs), are observed in a small subgroup of patients. The benefit of immunotherapy for advanced patients who exhibit atypical responses is underestimated according to the conventional response evaluation criteria in solid tumors (RECIST). In particular, DR is considered a mixed radiological or heterogeneous response pattern when responding and nonresponding lesions or new lesions coexist simultaneously. The rate of DR reported in different studies encompass a wide range of 3.3–47.8% based on diverse definition of DR. Although DR is also associated with treatment efficacy and a favorable prognosis, it is different from pseudoprogression, which has concordant progressive lesions and can be regularly captured by immune RECIST. This review article aims to comprehensively determine the frequency, definition, radiological evaluation, probable molecular mechanisms, prognosis, and clinical management of immune-related DR and help clinicians and radiologists objectively and correctly interpret this specific atypical response and better understand and manage cancer patients with immunotherapy and guarantee their best clinical benefit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaping Guan
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Jinan, China Shandong Lung Cancer Institute, Jinan, China
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Rheumatic Disease and Translational Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Dongfeng Feng
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Jinan, China Shandong Lung Cancer Institute, Jinan, China
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Rheumatic Disease and Translational Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Beibei Yin
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Jinan, China Shandong Lung Cancer Institute, Jinan, China
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Rheumatic Disease and Translational Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Kun Li
- Department of PET/CT, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Jinan, China
| | - Jun Wang
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, No. 16766, Jingshi Road, Jinan 250014, China
- Shandong Lung Cancer Institute, Jinan, China
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Rheumatic Disease and Translational Medicine, Jinan, China
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