Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy Induces Inflammatory Activity in the Large Arteries of Lymphoma Patients under 50 Years of Age
<b>Background:</b> Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) have transformed the management of various cancers. Serious and potentially fatal cardiovascular toxicity, as well as a progression of atherosclerosis, have been described, mainly in elderly and comorbid patients. <b>Methods:<...
Guardado en:
| Autores principales: | , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Formato: | article |
| Lenguaje: | EN |
| Publicado: |
MDPI AG
2021
|
| Materias: | |
| Acceso en línea: | https://doaj.org/article/ee9c387c93ac4977888f8379e73ab6a8 |
| Etiquetas: |
Agregar Etiqueta
Sin Etiquetas, Sea el primero en etiquetar este registro!
|
| Sumario: | <b>Background:</b> Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) have transformed the management of various cancers. Serious and potentially fatal cardiovascular toxicity, as well as a progression of atherosclerosis, have been described, mainly in elderly and comorbid patients. <b>Methods:</b> We investigated 117 arterial segments of 12 young (under 50 years of age), otherwise healthy lymphoma patients pre/post-ICI treatment using 2-[18F]fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET). Maximum FDG standardized uptake values (SUV<sub>max</sub>) and target-to-background ratios (TBRs) were calculated along arterial segments. Additionally, metabolic activities (SUV<sub>max</sub>) of the bone marrow, spleen, and liver were analyzed. The levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) were assessed. <b>Results:</b> ICI therapy induced arterial inflammatory activity, detected by increased TBR in arterial segments without pre-existing inflammation (TBRneg_pre = 1.20 ± 0.22 vs. TBRneg_post = 1.71 ± 0.45, <i>p</i> < 0.001), whereas already-inflamed lesions remained unchanged. Dormant calcified segments (Hounsfield Units-HU ≥ 130) showed a significant increase in TBR values after ICI treatment (TBRcalc_pre = 1.36 ± 0.38 vs. TBRcalc_post = 1.76 ± 0.42, <i>p</i> < 0.001). FDG uptake measured in other organs and hsCRP levels remained unchanged after ICI therapy. <b>Conclusions:</b> Although the effects of ICI therapy on arterial inflammation are still incompletely understood, cancer immunotherapy might be a critical moderator of atherosclerosis with a subsequently increased risk of future cerebro- and/or cardiovascular events in young oncological patients. |
|---|