Abstract 2901
Background
Anti-PD-1 antibodies represent nowadays a first-choice therapy for metastatic melanoma patients. Despite impressive results in terms of PFS and OS, a proportion of patients does not respond to anti-PD-1 therapy with an overall poor prognosis. Identification of predictive biomarkers is considered an important unmet clinical need to avoid expensive and potentially harmful drugs in patients who will not respond to them. In the last years, many studies have evaluated the role of cytokines on both blood and tissue samples as predictive biomarkers for immunotherapy, with encouraging results.
Methods
Blood samples from 18 patients with metastatic melanoma treated with anti-PD-1 antibodies as first line therapy were collected at baseline. 8 patients were classified as non-responders (best response: PD excluding pseudo-progression with median PFS of 2 months) and 10 patients as responders (best response: PR or CR, with median PFS of 17 months). mRNA expression levels of the main pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines were evaluated by Real time quantitative PCR in PBMCs obtained from baseline blood samples. Unpaired two-tailed t-test was used for statistical analysis.
Results
IFN-γ mRNA expression levels were higher in responder patients (p < 0.01) whereas IL-10 levels tended to be higher in non-responders (p > 0.05). Combining data for each patient, we noticed a correlation between higher levels of IFN-γ and lower levels of IL-10 for responders and vice versa. Starting from these findings, we observed that the IFN-γ/IL-10 ratio was higher (median: 43,3 vs 5,2) in responders (p < 0.01), with high negative and positive predictive value (NPV:100% and PPV:91% using a threshold of 18). The main lymphocyte subpopulations producing these cytokines were also identified.
Conclusions
Our data suggest an interesting correlation between IFN-γ/IL-10 ratio and response to anti-PD-1 therapy in melanoma patients. This correlation seems to be stronger than using IFN-γ expression levels alone probably because of the influence of anti-inflammatory cytokines. Since this is an exploratory and retrospective analysis of 18 patients, a larger population should be tested to validate our results.
Clinical trial identification
Editorial acknowledgement
Legal entity responsible for the study
Dipartimento di Medicina di Precisione, Università degli studi della Campania Luigi Vanvitelli.
Funding
Has not received any funding.
Disclosure
F. Ciardiello: Advisory / Consultancy: Roche; Advisory / Consultancy: Amgen; Advisory / Consultancy: Merck; Advisory / Consultancy: Sanofi; Advisory / Consultancy: Bayer; Advisory / Consultancy: Pfizer; Advisory / Consultancy: Servier; Advisory / Consultancy: BMS; Advisory / Consultancy: Cellgene; Advisory / Consultancy: Lilly; Research grant / Funding (institution): Bayer; Research grant / Funding (institution): Roche; Research grant / Funding (institution): Merck; Research grant / Funding (institution): AstraZeneca; Research grant / Funding (institution): Amgen; Research grant / Funding (institution): Takeda. T. Troiani: Research grant / Funding (institution): Roche; Research grant / Funding (institution): Sanofi; Research grant / Funding (institution): Merck; Research grant / Funding (institution): Amgen; Research grant / Funding (institution): Servier; Research grant / Funding (institution): Novartis; Research grant / Funding (institution): Bayer. All other authors have declared no conflicts of interest.
Resources from the same session
5705 - External validation and longitudinal extension of the LIPI (Lung Immune Prognostic Index) for immunotherapy outcomes in advanced non-small cell lung cancer.
Presenter: Jakob Riedl
Session: Poster Display session 3
Resources:
Abstract
5758 - Changes of TCR Repertoire in Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma and Metastatic Melanoma Patients Treated with Nivolumab
Presenter: Martin Klabusay
Session: Poster Display session 3
Resources:
Abstract
1743 - Expression of MHC class I, HLA-A and HLA-B identifies immune activated breast tumors with favorable outcome
Presenter: María Del Mar Noblejas López
Session: Poster Display session 3
Resources:
Abstract
2219 - Prognostic Significance of Tumor Tissue NeuGcGM3 Ganglioside Expression and Predictive Value of Circulating Tumor Cell Count Monitoring in Patients Receiving Racotumomab Immunotherapy
Presenter: Necdet Üskent
Session: Poster Display session 3
Resources:
Abstract
2996 - Evolution of Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells and Objective Response Rate in Relapsed/Refractory Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma (R/R DLBCL) patients after receiving immunotherapy
Presenter: Carlos Jiménez Cortegana
Session: Poster Display session 3
Resources:
Abstract
2110 - A Phase Ia/Ib trial of the anti-programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) human monoclonal antibody (mAb), CS1001, in patients (pts) with advanced solid tumors or lymphomas
Presenter: Lin Shen
Session: Poster Display session 3
Resources:
Abstract
3515 - Results from a randomised Phase 1/2 trial evaluating the safety and antitumour activity of anti-PD-1 (MEDI0680)/anti-PD-L1 (durvalumab) vs anti-PD-1 (nivolumab) alone in metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC)
Presenter: Martin Voss
Session: Poster Display session 3
Resources:
Abstract
3566 - Pembrolizumab in Advanced Rare Cancers
Presenter: Aung Naing
Session: Poster Display session 3
Resources:
Abstract
3567 - High clinical benefit rates of pembrolizumab in very rare sarcoma histotypes: first results of the AcSé Pembrolizumab study
Presenter: Jean-Yves Blay
Session: Poster Display session 3
Resources:
Abstract
2421 - Lenvatinib plus PD-1 blockade in advanced bile tract carcinoma.
Presenter: Jianzhen Lin
Session: Poster Display session 3
Resources:
Abstract