A pattern of early radiation-induced inflammatory cytokine expression is associated with lung toxicity in patients with non-small cell lung cancer

Causal association of circulating cytokines with the risk of lung cancer: a Mendelian randomization study

Background

Lung cancer is the deadliest and most prevalent malignancy worldwide. While smoking is an established cause, evidence to identify other causal factors remains lacking. Current research indicates chronic inflammation is involved in tumorigenesis and cancer development, though the specific mechanisms underlying the role of inflammatory cytokines in lung cancer pathogenesis remain unclear. This study implemented Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to investigate the causal effects of circulating cytokines on lung cancer development.

Methods

We performed a two-sample MR analysis in Europeans utilizing publicly available genome-wide association study summary statistics. Single nucleotide polymorphisms significantly associated with cytokine were selected as genetic instrumental variables.

Results

Genetically predicted levels of the chemokine interleukin-18 (IL-18) (OR = 0.942, 95% CI: 0.897-0.990, P = 0.018) exerted significant negative causal effects on overall lung cancer risk in this analysis. Examining specific histologic subtypes revealed further evidence of genetic associations. Stem cell factor (SCF) (OR = 1.150, 95% CI: 1.021-1.296, P = 0.021) and interleukin-1beta (IL-1β) (OR = 1.152, 95% CI: 1.003-1.325, P = 0.046) were positively associated with lung adenocarcinoma risk, though no inflammatory factors showed causal links to squamous cell lung cancer risk. Stratified by smoking status, interferon gamma-induced protein 10 (IP-10) (OR = 0.861, 95% CI: 0.781-0.950, P = 0.003) was inversely associated while IL-1β (OR = 1.190, 95% CI: 1.023-1.384, P = 0.024) was positively associated with lung cancer risk in ever smokers. Among never smokers, a positive association was observed between lung cancer risk and SCF (OR = 1.474, 95% CI: 1.105-1.964, P = 0.008). Importantly, these causal inferences remained robust across multiple complementary MR approaches, including MR-Egger, weighted median, weighted mode and simple mode regressions. Sensitivity analyses also excluded potential bias stemming from pleiotropy.

Conclusion

This MR study found preliminary evidence that genetically predicted levels of four inflammatory cytokines-SCF, IL-1β, IL-18, and IP-10-may causally influence lung cancer risk in an overall and subtype-specific manner, as well as stratified by smoking status. Identifying these cytokine pathways that may promote lung carcinogenesis represents potential new targets for the prevention, early detection, and treatment of this deadly malignancy.

Advanced strategies in improving the immunotherapeutic effect of CAR-T cell therapy

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR-T) cell therapy is a newly developed immunotherapy strategy and has achieved satisfactory outcomes in the treatment of hematological malignancies. However, some adverse effects related to CAR-T cell therapy have to be resolved before it is widely used in clinics as a cancer treatment. Furthermore, the application of CAR-T cell therapy in the treatment of solid tumors has been hampered by numerous limitations. Therefore, it is essential to explore novel strategies to improve the therapeutic effect of CAR-T cell therapy. In this review, we summarized the recently developed strategies aimed at optimizing the generation of CAR-T cells and improving the anti-tumor efficiency of CAR-T cell therapy. Furthermore, the discovery of new targets for CAR-T cell therapy and the combined treatment strategies of CAR-T cell therapy with chemotherapy, radiotherapy, cancer vaccines and nanomaterials are highlighted.

Predicting Radiation-Induced Lung Injury in Patients With Lung Cancer: Challenges and Opportunities

Radiation-induced lung injury (RILI) is one of the main dose-limiting toxicities in radiation therapy (RT) for lung cancer. Approximately 10% to 20% of patients show signs of RILI of variable severity. The reason for the wide range of RILI severity and the mechanisms underlying its development are only partially understood. A number of clinical risk factors have been identified that can aid in clinical decision making. Technological advancements in RT and the use of strict organ-at-risk dose constraints have helped to reduce RILI. Predicting patients at risk for RILI may be further improved with a combination of cytokine assessments, γH2AX-assays in leukocytes, or epigenetic markers. A complicating factor is the lack of an objective definition of RILI. Tools such as computed tomography densitometry, fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography uptake, changes in lung function measurements, and exhaled breath analysis can be implemented to better define and quantify RILI. This can aid in the search for new biomarkers, which can be accelerated by omics techniques, single-cell RNA sequencing, mass cytometry, and advances in patient-specific in vitro cell culture models. An objective quantification of RILI combined with these novel techniques can aid in the development of biomarkers to better predict patients at risk and allow personalized treatment decisions.

Correlation of Increased Soluble Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor 1 with Mortality and Dependence on Treatment in Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Patients: A Longitudinal Cohort Study

BACKGROUND

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) is a multipotent cytokine involved in inflammation and anti-tumor activity. TNF-α exerts its function upon binding to TNF-receptor 1 (TNF-R1) and TNF-receptor 2 (TNF-R2). This study investigates the relationship of soluble (s) TNF-R1 levels in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with treatment and overall survival.

METHODS

In total, 134 NSCLC patients treated at the Medical Faculty of Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg between 2017 and 2019 were included in this study. Serum levels of sTNF-R1 were measured via ELISA at baseline and during and after treatment. A linear mixed-effects model was used to assess sTNF-R1 changes over time. Linear regression was applied to investigate the association between clinical characteristics and changes in sTNF-R1. Cox regression models were used to estimate associations with overall mortality.

RESULTS

The estimated average sTNFR-1 at baseline was 2091.71 pg/mL, with a change of 6.19 pg/mL per day. Cox models revealed that the individual change in sTNF-R1 was more strongly associated with mortality than its baseline value, especially after adjusting for covariates.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides evidence that the individual change in sTNF-R1 levels during and after treatment were associated with the risk of mortality, suggesting the use of the sTNF-R1 trajectory as a prognostic marker.

Advances in Screening for Radiation-Associated Cardiotoxicity in Cancer Patients

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Radiation is foundational to the treatment of cancer and improves overall survival. Yet, it is important to recognize the potential cardiovascular effects of radiation therapy and how to best minimize or manage them. Screening-both through imaging and with biomarkers-can potentially identify cardiovascular effects early, allowing for prompt initiation of treatment to mitigate late effects.

RECENT FINDINGS

Cardiac echocardiography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography, and measurements of troponin and natriuretic peptides serve as the initial screening tests of choice for RICD. Novel imaging applications, including positron emission tomography and specific MRI parameters, and biomarker testing, including myeloperoxidase, growth differentiation factor 15, galectin 3, micro-RNA, and metabolomics, hold promise for earlier detection and more specific characterization of RICD. Advances in imaging and novel applications of biomarkers have potential to identify subclinical RICD and may reveal opportunities for early intervention. Further research is needed to elucidate optimal imaging screening modalities, biomarkers, and surveillance strategies.

Cytokine Levels in Saliva Are Associated with Salivary Gland Fibrosis and Hyposalivation in Mice after Fractionated Radiotherapy of the Head and Neck

Cytokines are mediators of inflammation that could lead to fibrosis. The aim was to monitor cytokine levels in saliva and serum after locally fractionated radiotherapy of the head and neck in mice and investigate associations with salivary gland fibrosis and hyposalivation. C57BL/6 mice were randomized to sham or X-ray irradiation of 66 Gy in 10 fractions over 5 days. Blood and saliva were collected on days -7, 5, 35, 80, and 105 following cytokine analysis. The harvested submandibular salivary gland was assessed for the presence of fibrosis. Decision tree regression analysis was used to investigate whether cytokine levels could predict late endpoints in terms of hyposalivation or fibrosis. Significant formation of fibrosis in gland tissue and reduced saliva production was found after irradiation. The pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1α, TNF, TIMP1, G-CSF, KC, and MIP-1α showed increased levels in saliva in irradiated mice and a strong correlation with late endpoints. The decision tree analysis largely separated controls from irradiated animals, with IL-1α being the strongest predictor. Pro-inflammatory cytokines in saliva, but not in serum, were associated with late endpoints. This indicates that cytokine expression in saliva is a good biomarker for local salivary gland damage with IL-1α as the strongest single predictor.

Radiation prior to chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy is an optimizing bridging strategy in relapsed/refractory aggressive B-cell lymphoma

PURPOSE

We aimed to analyze the safety and efficacy of a radiation bridging regimen with or without chemotherapy compared with chemotherapy alone prior to CAR T-cell treatment for relapsed/refractory aggressive B-cell lymphoma (r/r ABL).

METHODS AND MATERIALS

In this study, 45 out of 105 patients enrolled in CD19/22 CAR T-cell "cocktail" clinical trial were excluded, including 34 patients without bridging treatment. Total 60 patients receiving CAR T-cell therapies with bridging regimens as chemotherapy alone (C-CAR-T group, n = 31), and radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy (R-CAR-T group, n = 29) between February 2017 and October 2020 were retrospectively analyzed.

RESULTS

No significant toxicities were identified in the R-CAR-T group, and no patients in either group experienced CAR-T-related deaths. However, the R-CAR-T group showed a lower incidence of cytokine release syndrome (CRS) of grade ≥ 3 relative to the C-CAR-T group (0% vs 19.4%, P = 0.036). The incidence of neurological toxicity was 9.9% and 6.9% in the C-CAR-T group and R-CAR-T group, respectively (P = 0.697). The R-CAR-T group achieved a higher overall response rate (ORR) at the day 30 assessment (82.8% vs 45.2%, P = 0.0025). Further analyzing the outcomes, the R-CAR-T group presented a better 1-year progression-free survival (PFS) rate than the C-CAR-T group (46.9% vs 22.6%, P = 0.0356). Intriguingly, the bridging radiation regimen extremely improved the 6-month PFS (50.8% vs 16. 7%, P = 0.0369) and 1-year overall survival (OS) (56.3% vs 33.3%, P = 0.0236) rates in patients with bulky disease. The study also found that conducting radiotherapy as a bridging regimen was an independent factor that predicted better PFS (HR: 0.534, 95% CI: 0.289-0.987, P = 0.045).

CONCLUSIONS

Our results provide and strengthen novel insights that the use of radiotherapy as a bridging strategy was demonstrated to reduce the incidence of severe CRS and improve the PFS of patients. In subgroup analysis, it was confirmed that radiotherapy can improve PFS and OS in patients with bulky disease. These findings open new avenues to improve the efficacy and safety of CAR T-cell therapy.

Circulating T Cell Activation and Exhaustion Markers Are Associated With Radiation Pneumonitis and Poor Survival in Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer

Introduction

Persistent inflammation and immune activation in the lungs are associated with adverse outcomes such as radiation pneumonitis (RP) and poor survival in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. However, it is unknown how this is reflected by leukocyte activation markers in serum.

Objective

The aim was to evaluate the serum levels of activation of different leukocyte subsets and to examine those in relation to the pathogenesis of RP and survival in NSCLC.

Methods

We analyzed the serum levels of MPO, sCD25, sTIM-3, sPD-L1, sCD14, sCD163, CCL19 and CCL21 in 66 inoperable NSCLC patients with stage IA-IIIA disease. The patients were treated with stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) or concurrent chemoradiation therapy (CCRT), followed by regular blood sampling for 12 months after treatment and for 5 years for survival.

Results

Nineteen (29%) patients developed RP, which occurred more frequently and earlier in patients receiving CCRT than in those receiving SBRT. Increases in sCD25, sTIM-3 and CCL21 levels were observed at the last 6 months of follow-up in patients who had RP after SBRT. Patients who had RP after CCRT had higher sTIM-3 levels during the first 3 months of follow-up. Baseline sCD25 was independently associated with both 2- and 5-year mortality outcomes, while baseline sTIM-3 was independently associated with 2-year mortality.

Conclusion

We showed that T cell activation and exhaustion markers such as sCD25 and sTIM-3 are enhanced in patients developing RP and are associated with poor survival in NSCLC.

Improved prediction of radiation pneumonitis by combining biological and radiobiological parameters using a data-driven Bayesian network analysis

Grade 2 and higher radiation pneumonitis (RP2) is a potentially fatal toxicity that limits efficacy of radiation therapy (RT). We wished to identify a combined biomarker signature of circulating miRNAs and cytokines which, along with radiobiological and clinical parameters, may better predict a targetable RP2 pathway. In a prospective clinical trial of response-adapted RT for patients (n = 39) with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer, we analyzed patients' plasma, collected pre- and during RT, for microRNAs (miRNAs) and cytokines using array and multiplex enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), respectively. Interactions between candidate biomarkers, radiobiological, and clinical parameters were analyzed using data-driven Bayesian network (DD-BN) analysis. We identified alterations in specific miRNAs (miR-532, -99b and -495, let-7c, -451 and -139-3p) correlating with lung toxicity. High levels of soluble tumor necrosis factor alpha receptor 1 (sTNFR1) were detected in a majority of lung cancer patients. However, among RP patients, within 2 weeks of RT initiation, we noted a trend of temporary decline in sTNFR1 (a physiological scavenger of TNFα) and ADAM17 (a shedding protease that cleaves both membrane-bound TNFα and TNFR1) levels. Cytokine signature identified activation of inflammatory pathway. Using DD-BN we combined miRNA and cytokine data along with generalized equivalent uniform dose (gEUD) to identify pathways with better accuracy of predicting RP2 as compared to either miRNA or cytokines alone. This signature suggests that activation of the TNFα-NFκB inflammatory pathway plays a key role in RP which could be specifically ameliorated by etanercept rather than current therapy of non-specific leukotoxic corticosteroids.

Prostate Cancer Survivors Present Long-Term, Residual Systemic Immune Alterations

Simple Summary

The development of cancer is very often accompanied by systemic immune alterations which can be further aggravated by major anti-cancer therapies. However, there is very little known about how long these alterations persist in patients successfully cured of cancer. The aim of our work was to investigate how cancer and radiotherapy as major anti-cancer treatment modalities impact the immune system long after the successful treatment of a tumor. We investigated prostate cancer patients treated with a special form of radiotherapy (low-dose rate brachytherapy) often used for the treatment of prostate cancer and followed a wide range of immune parameters at regular intervals up to 3 years after the start of the treatment. Our results showed that some immune alterations did not recover after the treatment of the disease, on the contrary, they persisted, and in some cases got even worse. Further studies are needed to explain the causes and the potential long-term consequences of these alterations.

Abstract

Background: The development of cancer and anti-tumor therapies can lead to systemic immune alterations but little is known about how long immune dysfunction persists in cancer survivors. Methods: We followed changes in the cellular immune parameters of prostate cancer patients with good prognostic criteria treated with low dose rate brachytherapy before and up to 3 years after the initiation of therapy. Results: Patients before therapy had a reduced CD4+ T cell pool and increased regulatory T cell fraction and these alterations persisted or got amplified during the 36-month follow-up. A significant decrease in the total NK cell number and a redistribution of the circulating NK cells in favor of a less functional anergic subpopulation was seen in patients before therapy but tumor regression led to the regeneration of the NK cell pool and functional integrity. The fraction of lymphoid DCs was increased in patients both before therapy and throughout the whole follow-up. Increased PDGF-AA, BB, CCL5 and CXCL5 levels were measured in patients before treatment but protein levels rapidly normalized. Conclusions: while NK cell dysfunction recovered, long-term, residual alterations persisted in the adaptive and partly in the innate immune system.

The roles of CC chemokines in response to radiation

Radiotherapy is an effective regimen for cancer treatment alone or combined with chemotherapy or immunotherapy. The direct effect of radiotherapy involves radiation-induced DNA damage, and most studies have focused on this area to improve the efficacy of radiotherapy. Recently, the immunomodulatory effect of radiation on the tumour microenvironment has attracted much interest. Dying tumour cells can release multiple immune-related molecules, including tumour-associated antigens, chemokines, and inflammatory mediators. Then, immune cells are attracted to the irradiated site, exerting immunostimulatory or immunosuppressive effects. CC chemokines play pivotal roles in the trafficking process. The CC chemokine family includes 28 members that attract different immune subsets. Upon irradiation, tumour cells or immune cells can release different CC chemokines. Here, we mainly discuss the importance of CCL2, CCL3, CCL5, CCL8, CCL11, CCL20 and CCL22 in radiotherapy. In irradiated normal tissues, released chemokines induce epithelial to mesenchymal transition, thus promoting tissue injury. In the tumour microenvironment, released chemokines recruit cancer-associated cells, such as tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes, myeloid-derived suppressor cells and tumour-associated macrophages, to the tumour niche. Thus, CC chemokines have protumour and antitumour properties. Based on the complex roles of CC chemokines in the response to radiation, it would be promising to target specific chemokines to alleviate radiation-induced injury or promote tumour control.

Promising Biomarkers of Radiation-Induced Lung Injury: A Review

Radiation-induced lung injury (RILI) is one of the main dose-limiting side effects in patients with thoracic cancer during radiotherapy. No reliable predictors or accurate risk models are currently available in clinical practice. Severe radiation pneumonitis (RP) or pulmonary fibrosis (PF) will reduce the quality of life, even when the anti-tumor treatment is effective for patients. Thus, precise prediction and early diagnosis of lung toxicity are critical to overcome this longstanding problem. This review summarizes the primary mechanisms and preclinical animal models of RILI reported in recent decades, and analyzes the most promising biomarkers for the early detection of lung complications. In general, ideal integrated models considering individual genetic susceptibility, clinical background parameters, and biological variations are encouraged to be built up, and more prospective investigations are still required to disclose the molecular mechanisms of RILI as well as to discover valuable intervention strategies.

Dynamic changes in practical inflammation and immunity markers in cancer patients receiving immune-enhancing nutritional supplementation during concurrent chemoradiotherapy

BACKGROUND

Immune-enhancing nutrition (IMN) strengthens the systematic inflammatory response and the immune system. Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) are affected during cancer therapies.

OBJECTIVE

We carried out an analysis of the dynamic changes in NLR and ALC over time in cancer patients with or without IMN supplementation.

METHODS

88 cancer patients receiving concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) were randomized into regular diet group, and regular diet and IMN group.Generalized estimation equation models were used to assess associations between patient's characteristics, IMN, and dynamic changes in NLR and ALC over time.

RESULTS

NLR and ALC at preCCRT were significantly associated with dynamic changes in NLR (adjusted β= 1.08, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.64-1.52) and ALC (adjusted β= 0.41, 95% CI: 0.36-0.46). The magnitudes of the NLR and ALC changes through CCRT were lower in patients receiving IMN, although the differences were not statistically significant except ALC at the end of CCRT in head and neck cancer patients (P= 0.023).

CONCLUSION

Dynamic negative changes in both markers were demonstrated throughout CCRT. There were non-significant trend in promising changes in both NLR and ALC values in the whole group in IMN supplementation.

Radiation Priming Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell Therapy in Relapsed/Refractory Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma With High Tumor Burden

Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy demonstrates impressive efficacy in relapsed/refractory (R/R) diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). However, CAR-T therapy-related severe cytokine release syndrome and neurological toxicity limit its clinical application in R/R DLBCL patients with high tumor burden. Here, we conducted a phase II clinical trial testing the efficacy and toxicities of CAR-T therapy in R/R non-Hodgkin lymphoma patients (NCT03196830). Among the enrolled patients, 10 R/R DLBCL patients with high tumor burden were analyzed. Before CAR-T therapy, 4 were treated with intensive combined chemotherapy (C-CAR-cohort), and 6 were exposed to radiotherapy (R-CAR-cohort). Patients in the R-CAR-T-cohort showed a higher overall response rate (100% vs. 25%, P=0.033) and less severe cytokine release syndrome (0% vs. 100%, P=0.0048) and neurotoxicity (0% vs. 75%, P=0.033) incidences than patients in the C-CAR-T-cohort. Furthermore, one case who responded to CAR-T therapy initially and who suffered a relapse shortly was exposed to radiation and achieved complete remission, with an increase in the number of CAR-T copies detected. This study demonstrates that radiotherapy is an optimal debulking regimen to managing R/R DLBCL patients before CAR-T therapy and a promising alternative salvage therapy for patients who suffer a relapse after CAR-T therapy by fuelling CAR-T copies.

Mitigation of Hematopoietic Syndrome of Acute Radiation Syndrome by 1-Palmitoyl-2-linoleoyl-3-acetyl-rac-glycerol (PLAG) is Associated with Regulation of Systemic Inflammation in a Murine Model of Total-Body Irradiation

The growing risk of accidental radiation exposure due to increased usage of ionizing radiation, such as in nuclear power, industries and medicine, has increased the necessity for the development of radiation countermeasures. Previously, we demonstrated the therapeutic potential of the acetylated diacylglycerol, 1-palmitoyl-2-linoleoyl-3-acetyl-rac-glycerol (PLAG), as a radiation countermeasure by mitigating radiation-associated mortality and hematopoietic acute radiation syndrome (H-ARS) in BALB/c mice after a lethal dose (LD70/30) of gamma-ray total-body irradiation (TBI). In this study, we show that PLAG mitigates symptoms of H-ARS, as characterized by mature blood cell recovery and restoration of bone marrow cellularity, by regulating systemic inflammation. Log-rank test demonstrated that high levels of WBCs, lymphocytes and neutrophils on day 10 post-TBI resulted in significantly improved survival rate. PLAG significantly enhanced the nadir values of all major blood cell types as well as bone marrow cellularity. A single TBI at LD70/30 induced an immediate increase in the blood levels of CXCL1 (12.5 fold), CXCL2 (1.5 fold), IL-6 (86.9 fold), C-reactive protein (CRP; 1.3 fold) and G-CSF (15.7 fold) at 6 h post-TBI, but the cytokine levels returned to baseline level afterward. When the irradiated mice started to die around 15 days post-TBI, they exhibited a second surge in blood levels of CXCL1 (49.3 fold), CXCL2 (87.1 fold), IL-6 (208 fold), CRP (3.6 fold) and G-CSF (265.7 fold). However, PLAG-treated groups showed a significant decrease in these same blood levels (P < 0.001). Considering the inverse correlation between inflammatory cytokine levels and hematological nadirs, PLAG exerts its therapeutic effects on H-ARS by regulating inflammatory cytokine production. These data suggest that PLAG has high potential as a radiation countermeasure to mitigate H-ARS after accidental exposure to radiation.

Low dose ionizing radiation effects on the immune system

Ionizing radiation interacts with the immune system in many ways with a multiplicity that mirrors the complexity of the immune system itself: namely the need to maintain a delicate balance between different compartments, cells and soluble factors that work collectively to protect, maintain, and restore tissue function in the face of severe challenges including radiation damage. The cytotoxic effects of high dose radiation are less relevant after low dose exposure, where subtle quantitative and functional effects predominate that may go unnoticed until late after exposure or after a second challenge reveals or exacerbates the effects. For example, low doses may permanently alter immune fitness and therefore accelerate immune senescence and pave the way for a wide spectrum of possible pathophysiological events, including early-onset of age-related degenerative disorders and cancer. By contrast, the so called low dose radiation therapy displays beneficial, anti-inflammatory and pain relieving properties in chronic inflammatory and degenerative diseases. In this review, epidemiological, clinical and experimental data regarding the effects of low-dose radiation on the homeostasis and functional integrity of immune cells will be discussed, as will be the role of immune-mediated mechanisms in the systemic manifestation of localized exposures such as inflammatory reactions. The central conclusion is that ionizing radiation fundamentally and durably reshapes the immune system. Further, the importance of discovery of immunological pathways for modifying radiation resilience amongst other research directions in this field is implied.

Cytokine Profiles of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients Treated with Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy with Regards to Radiation Pneumonitis Severity

The immunologic aspects of radiation pneumonitis (RP) are unclear. We analyzed variations in cytokine profiles between patients with grade (Gr) 0–1 and Gr ≥ 2 RP. Fifteen patients undergoing concurrent chemoradiotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer were included. Blood samples of 9 patients with Gr 0–1 and 6 with Gr ≥ 2 RP were obtained from the Biobank. Cytokine levels were evaluated using an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay at before radiotherapy (RT) initiation, 1, 3, and 6 weeks post-RT initiation, and 1 month post-RT completion. Concentrations of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10, IL-13, IL-17, interferon (IFN)-γ, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β were analyzed; none were related to the occurrence of Gr ≥ 2 RP at pre-RT initiation. At 3 weeks, relative changes in the G-CSF, IL-6, and IFN-γ levels differed significantly between the groups (p = 0.026, 0.05 and 0.026, respectively). One month post-RT completion, relative changes of IL-17 showed significant differences (p = 0.045); however, relative changes in TNF-α, IL-10, IL-13, and TGF-β, did not differ significantly. Evaluation of changes in IL-6, G-CSF, and IFN-γ at 3 weeks after RT initiation can identify patients pre-disposed to severe RP. The mechanism of variation in cytokine levels in relation to RP severity warrants further investigation.

Investigating the SPECT Dose-Function Metrics Associated With Radiation-Induced Lung Toxicity Risk in Patients With Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Undergoing Radiation Therapy

Purpose

Dose to normal lung has commonly been linked with radiation-induced lung toxicity (RILT) risk, but incorporating functional lung metrics in treatment planning may help further optimize dose delivery and reduce RILT incidence. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of the dose delivered to functional lung regions by analyzing perfusion (Q), ventilation (V), and combined V/Q single-photon-emission computed tomography (SPECT) dose-function metrics with regard to RILT risk in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients who received radiation therapy (RT).

Methods and Materials

SPECT images acquired from 88 patients with locally advanced NSCLC before undergoing conventionally fractionated RT were retrospectively analyzed. Dose was converted to the nominal dose equivalent per 2 Gy fraction, and SPECT intensities were normalized. Regional lung segments were defined, and the average dose delivered to each lung region was quantified. Three functional categorizations were defined to represent low-, normal-, and high-functioning lungs. The percent of functional lung category receiving ≥20 Gy and mean functional intensity receiving ≥20 Gy (iV₂₀) were calculated. RILT was defined as grade 2+ radiation pneumonitis and/or clinical radiation fibrosis. A logistic regression was used to evaluate the association between dose-function metrics and risk of RILT.

Results

By analyzing V/Q normalized intensities and functional distributions across the population, a wide range in functional capability (especially in the ipsilateral lung) was observed in patients with NSCLC before RT. Through multivariable regression models, global lung average dose to the lower lung was found to be significantly associated with RILT, and Q and V iV₂₀ were correlated with RILT when using ipsilateral lung metrics. Through a receiver operating characteristic analysis, combined V/Q low-function receiving ≥20 Gy (low-functioning V/Q₂₀) in the ipsilateral lung was found to be the best predictor (area under the curce: 0.79) of RILT risk.

Conclusions

Irradiation of the inferior lung appears to be a locational sensitivity for RILT risk. The multivariable correlation between ipsilateral lung iV₂₀ and RILT, as well as the association of low-functioning V/Q₂₀ and RILT, suggest that irradiating low-functioning regions in the lung may lead to higher toxicity rates.

Repeated Administration of Clinically Relevant Doses of the Prescription Opioids Tramadol and Tapentadol Causes Lung, Cardiac, and Brain Toxicity in Wistar Rats

Tramadol and tapentadol, two structurally related synthetic opioid analgesics, are widely prescribed due to the enhanced therapeutic profiles resulting from the synergistic combination between μ-opioid receptor (MOR) activation and monoamine reuptake inhibition. However, the number of adverse reactions has been growing along with their increasing use and misuse. The potential toxicological mechanisms for these drugs are not completely understood, especially for tapentadol, owing to its shorter market history. Therefore, in the present study, we aimed to comparatively assess the putative lung, cardiac, and brain cortex toxicological damage elicited by the repeated exposure to therapeutic doses of both prescription opioids. To this purpose, male Wistar rats were intraperitoneally injected with single daily doses of 10, 25, and 50 mg/kg tramadol or tapentadol, corresponding to a standard analgesic dose, an intermediate dose, and the maximum recommended daily dose, respectively, for 14 consecutive days. Such treatment was found to lead mainly to lipid peroxidation and inflammation in lung and brain cortex tissues, as shown through augmented thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), as well as to increased serum inflammation biomarkers, such as C reactive protein (CRP) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). Cardiomyocyte integrity was also shown to be affected, since both opioids incremented serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and α-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase (α-HBDH) activities, while tapentadol was associated with increased serum creatine kinase muscle brain (CK-MB) isoform activity. In turn, the analysis of metabolic parameters in brain cortex tissue revealed increased lactate concentration upon exposure to both drugs, as well as augmented LDH and creatine kinase (CK) activities following tapentadol treatment. In addition, pneumo- and cardiotoxicity biomarkers were quantified at the gene level, while neurotoxicity biomarkers were quantified both at the gene and protein levels; changes in their expression correlate with the oxidative stress, inflammatory, metabolic, and histopathological changes that were detected. Hematoxylin and eosin (H & E) staining revealed several histopathological alterations, including alveolar collapse and destruction in lung sections, inflammatory infiltrates, altered cardiomyocytes and loss of striation in heart sections, degenerated neurons, and accumulation of glial and microglial cells in brain cortex sections. In turn, Masson's trichrome staining confirmed fibrous tissue deposition in cardiac tissue. Taken as a whole, these results show that the repeated administration of both prescription opioids extends the dose range for which toxicological injury is observed to lower therapeutic doses. They also reinforce previous assumptions that tramadol and tapentadol are not devoid of toxicological risk even at clinical doses.

From Allergy to Cancer-Clinical Usefulness of Eotaxins

Simple Summary

Eotaxins are small proteins included in the group of chemokines. They act mainly on blood cells called eosinophils which are involved in the pathogenesis of inflammatory processes. This connection leads to involvement of eotaxins in the pathogenesis of all inflammatory related diseases, such as allergic diseases and cancer. This paper summarizes the current knowledge about eotaxins, showing their usefulness as markers that can be used not only in the detection of these diseases, but also to determine the effectiveness of treatment.

Abstract

Eotaxins are proteins which belong to the group of cytokines. These small molecules are secreted by cells that are mainly involved in immune-mediated reactions in the course of allergic diseases. Eotaxins were discovered in 1994 and their main role was considered to be the selective recruitment of eosinophils. As those blood cells are involved in the course of all inflammatory diseases, including cancer, we decided to perform an extensive search of the literature pertaining to our investigation via the MEDLINE/PubMed database. On the basis of available literature, we can assume that eotaxins can be used as markers for the detection and determination of origin or type of allergic disease. Many publications also confirm that eotaxins can be used in the determination of allergic disease treatment. Moreover, there are also studies indicating a connection between eotaxins and cancer. Some researchers revealed that CCL11 (C-C motif chemokine ligand 11, eotaxin-1) concentrations differed between the control and tested groups indicating their possible usefulness in cancer detection. Furthermore, some papers showed usefulness of eotaxins in determining the treatment efficacy as markers of decreasing inflammation. Therefore, in this paper we present the current knowledge on eotaxins in the course of allergic and cancerous diseases.

Identifying Circulating and Lung Tissue Cytokines Associated with Thoracic Irradiation and AEOL 10150 Treatment in a Nonhuman Primate Model

Inflammatory cytokines have been suggested to play important roles in radiation-induced lung injury (RILI). Identifying significantly changed circulating and tissue cytokines after thoracic irradiation will aid in deciphering the mechanism of RILI and identifying potential biomarkers to predict clinical outcome. Herein, the levels of 24 cytokines were measured in serial plasma samples and lung tissue samples collected from a pilot study where nonhuman primates (NHPs) received 11.5 Gy whole thoracic lung irradiation (WTLI) and were then treated with or without a medical countermeasure, AEOL 10150 [a superoxide dismutase (SOD) mimetic]. Seven plasma cytokines (i.e., IP-10, MCP-1, IL-12, IL-15, IL-16, IL-7 and IL-6) were found to be significantly changed at different time points due to WTLI. Plasma IP-10 and MDC were significantly changed between the vehicle group and the drug group. The levels of IP-10, MCP-1, MIP-1α, TARC, IL-17, TNF-β and IL-6 were significantly elevated in the lung tissue lysates of NHPs that received WTLI versus radiation-naïve NHPs. The terminal plasma concentrations of IP-10, MDC, TARC, IL-12, IL-15 and IL-6 were significantly correlated with their levels in the lung tissue. The levels of four cytokines (MCP-4, IL-17, TNF-β and IL-2) at early time points (≤8 weeks postirradiation) were significantly correlated with their terminal plasma levels, respectively. Statistical analysis indicated that circulating cytokines could be discriminatory predictors of AEOL 10150 treatment. Taken together, our data suggested that the cytokine profiles were significantly changed after WTLI as well as mitigator treatment, and that the plasma cytokine profiles could potentially be used to distinguish vehicle or mitigator treatment after WTLI in a NHP model.

Effect of 3,3'-Diindolylmethane on Pulmonary Injury Following Thoracic Irradiation in CBA Mice

The molecule 3,3'-diindolylmethane (DIM) is small, a major bioactive metabolite of indole-3 carbinol (13C), and a phytochemical compound from cruciferous vegetables released upon exposure to the gut acid environment. DIM is a proposed anti-cancer agent and was previously demonstrated to prevent radiation damage in the bone marrow and the gastrointestinal tract. Here we investigated the effect of DIM on radiation-induced injury to the lung in a murine model through untargeted metabolomics and gene expression studies of select genes. CBA mice were exposed to thoracic irradiation (17.5 Gy). Mice were treated with vehicle or DIM (250 mg kg, subcutaneous injection) on days -1 pre-irradiation through +14 post-irradiation. DIM induced a significant improvement in survival by day 150 post-irradiation. Fibrosis-related gene expression and metabolomics were examined using lung tissue from days 15, 45, 60, 90, and 120 post-irradiation. Our qRT-PCR experiments showed that DIM treatment reduced radiation-induced late expression of collagen Iα and the cell cycle checkpoint proteins p21/waf1 (CDKN1A) and p16ink (CDKN2A). Metabolomic studies of lung tissue demonstrated a significant dampening of radiation-induced changes following DIM treatment. Metabolites associated with pro-inflammatory responses and increased oxidative stress, such as fatty acids, were suppressed by DIM treatment compared to irradiated samples. Together these data suggest that DIM reduces radiation-induced sequelae in the lung.

Evaluation of cytokine expression and circulating immune cell subsets as potential parameters of acute radiation toxicity in prostate cancer patients

One of the challenges of radiation oncology in the era of personalized medicine is identification of biomarkers associated with individual radiosensitivity. The aim of research was to evaluate the possible clinical value of the associations between clinical, physical, and biological factors, and risk for development of acute radiotoxicity in patients with prostate cancer. The study involved forty four patients treated with three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy. The concentrations of IL-1β, IL-2, IL-6, IFN-γ and TGF-β1 were assessed before radiotherapy, after 5th, 15th and 25th radiotherapy fractions, at the end, and 1 month after the end of radiotherapy. Cytokine gene expression was determined in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. The univariate analysis of circulating cytokine levels during radiotherapy showed that increased serum concentrations of IL-6 were significantly associated with higher grade of acute genitourinary toxicity. The multivariate analysis demonstrated that increased level of IL-6 during the radiotherapy was significantly associated with higher grade of acute genitourinary toxicity across treatment. TGF-β expression levels significantly decreased during course of radiotherapy. Research indicates that changes in circulating cytokine levels might be important parameter of radiotoxicity in patients with prostate cancer. These findings suggest that future studies based on multi-parameter examination are necessary for prediction of individual radiosensitivity.

Monitoring DNA Damage and Repair in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells of Lung Cancer Radiotherapy Patients

Simple Summary

Every patient responds to radiotherapy in individual manner. Some suffer severe side-effects because of normal tissue toxicity. Their radiosensitivity can be caused by inability of DNA repair system to fix radiation-induced damage. The γ-H2AX assay can detect such deficiency in untransformed primary cells (e.g., peripheral blood mononuclear cells, PBMC), over a period of only hours post ex-vivo irradiation. Earlier we have shown that the level and kinetics of decline (repair) of radiation-induced DNA damage detected by the assay is a measure of the cellular radiosensitivity. In this study, we applied the γ-H2AX assay to judge the radiosensitivity of lung cancer radiotherapy patients as normal or abnormal, based on kinetics of DNA damage repair. Considering the potential of the assay as a clinical biodosimeter, we also monitored DNA damage in serial samples of PBMC during the course of radiotherapy. This study opens an opportunity to monitor individual response to radiotherapy treatment.

Abstract

Thoracic radiotherapy (RT) is required for the curative management of inoperable lung cancer, however, treatment delivery is limited by normal tissue toxicity. Prior studies suggest that using radiation-induced DNA damage response (DDR) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) has potential to predict RT-associated toxicities. We collected PBMC from 38 patients enrolled on a prospective clinical trial who received definitive fractionated RT for non-small cell lung cancer. DDR was measured by automated counting of nuclear γ-H2AX foci in immunofluorescence images. Analysis of samples collected before, during and after RT demonstrated the induction of DNA damage in PBMC collected shortly after RT commenced, however, this damage repaired later. Radiation dose to the tumour and lung contributed to the in vivo induction of γ-H2AX foci. Aliquots of PBMC collected before treatment were also irradiated ex vivo, and γ-H2AX kinetics were analyzed. A trend for increasing of fraction of irreparable DNA damage in patients with higher toxicity grades was revealed. Slow DNA repair in three patients was associated with a combined dysphagia/cough toxicity and was confirmed by elevated in vivo RT-generated irreparable DNA damage. These results warrant inclusion of an assessment of DDR in PBMC in a panel of predictive biomarkers that would identify patients at a higher risk of toxicity.

Modulation of Immuno-biome during Radio-sensitization of Tumors by Glycolytic Inhibitors

The Tumor Microenvironment (TME) comprising stromal cells, fibroblasts and various components of the immune system forms a pro-tumorigenic cocoon around the tumor cells with the reprogramming of the metabolism in the form of Warburg phenotype (enhanced aerobic glycolysis) in tumor as well as non-tumor cells. This reprogramming plays a significant role in suppressing the immune response leading to the survival and proliferation of tumor cells and resistance to therapies. Therefore, there is a considerable interest in developing strategies involving metabolic modifiers to improve the therapeutic efficacy that restores immune competence, besides enhancing the direct effects on tumor cells. Inhibitors of glycolysis like 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG; a hexokinase inhibitor), dichloroacetate and small molecule inhibitors of lactate transport (MCT-1) are some of the metabolic modifiers investigated for their therapeutic as well as adjuvant potential. Among these, 2-DG has been widely investigated and established as an ideal adjuvant in the radio- and chemotherapy of tumors. Modulation of the immuno-biome in the form of cytokine shifts, differential transcriptional regulation, abrogation of immunosuppressive network and reduced accumulation of lactate are some of the contributing factors for immune stimulation linked to the radio- and chemosensitization by glycolytic inhibitors.

Radiation-Induced Lung Fibrosis: Preclinical Animal Models and Therapeutic Strategies

Radiation-induced lung injury (RILI), including acute radiation pneumonitis and chronic radiation-induced lung fibrosis, is the most common side effect of radiation therapy. RILI is a complicated process that causes the accumulation, proliferation, and differentiation of fibroblasts and, finally, results in excessive extracellular matrix deposition. Currently, there are no approved treatment options for patients with radiation-induced pulmonary fibrosis (RIPF) partly due to the absence of effective targets. Current research advances include the development of small animal models reflecting modern radiotherapy, an understanding of the molecular basis of RIPF, and the identification of candidate drugs for prevention and treatment. Insights provided by this research have resulted in increased interest in disease progression and prognosis, the development of novel anti-fibrotic agents, and a more targeted approach to the treatment of RIPF.

Systemic modulation of stress and immune parameters in patients treated for prostate adenocarcinoma by intensity-modulated radiation therapy or stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy

Background

In this exploratory study, the impact of local irradiation on systemic changes in stress and immune parameters was investigated in eight patients treated with intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) or stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy (SABR) for prostate adenocarcinoma to gain deeper insights into how radiotherapy (RT) modulates the immune system.

Patients and methods

RT-qPCR, flow cytometry, metabolomics, and antibody arrays were used to monitor a panel of stress- and immune-related parameters before RT, after the first fraction (SABR) or the first week of treatment (IMRT), after the last fraction, and 3 weeks later in the blood of IMRT (N = 4) or SABR (N = 4) patients. Effect size analysis was used for comparison of results at different timepoints.

Results

Several parameters were found to be differentially modulated in IMRT and SABR patients: the expression of TGFB1, IL1B, and CCL3 genes; the expression of HLA-DR on circulating monocytes; the abundance and ratio of phosphatidylcholine and lysophosphatidylcholine metabolites in plasma. More immune modulators in plasma were modulated during IMRT than SABR, with only two common proteins, namely GDF-15 and Tim‑3.

Conclusion

Locally delivered RT induces systemic modulation of the immune system in prostate adenocarcinoma patients. IMRT and SABR appear to specifically affect distinct immune components.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1007/s00066-020-01637-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Radiation Exposure-Induced Changes in the Immune Cells and Immune Factors of Mice With or Without Primary Lung Tumor

Recent studies have demonstrated that radiation activates in situ antitumor immunity and consequently induced a synergistic effect of radiotherapy and immunotherapy. However, studies related to radiation-induced changes in immune system of tumor-bearing mice are limited, which are of great significance to improve the efficacy of radioimmunotherapy. In this study, we first established a primary lung tumor mouse model using urethane. Then part of the right lung of the mouse was exposed to X-ray irradiation with a computed tomography-guided small animal irradiator and the changes of immune cells in both peripheral blood and spleen were determined by flow cytometry. Besides, the levels of both cytokines and immunoglobulins in mouse serum were detected by a protein chip. We found that B lymphocytes increased while CD8⁺ T lymphocytes reduced significantly. Interleukin-3 (IL-3), IL-6, regulated upon activation, normally T-expressed, and presumably secreted factor (RANTES), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were found to be decreased after tumor formation, and the similar results have also been observed with kappa, IgG3, IgE, IgM, and IgG2a. After irradiation, lower concentrations of IgD, kappa, and IgM were found in the serum. Our findings indicate that localized tumor irradiation caused some obvious changes like inhibiting the ability of innate immunity, and these changes may be useful in predicting prognosis.

Adverse outcome pathways for ionizing radiation and breast cancer involve direct and indirect DNA damage, oxidative stress, inflammation, genomic instability, and interaction with hormonal regulation of the breast

Knowledge about established breast carcinogens can support improved and modernized toxicological testing methods by identifying key mechanistic events. Ionizing radiation (IR) increases the risk of breast cancer, especially for women and for exposure at younger ages, and evidence overall supports a linear dose-response relationship. We used the Adverse Outcome Pathway (AOP) framework to outline and evaluate the evidence linking ionizing radiation with breast cancer from molecular initiating events to the adverse outcome through intermediate key events, creating a qualitative AOP. We identified key events based on review articles, searched PubMed for recent literature on key events and IR, and identified additional papers using references. We manually curated publications and evaluated data quality. Ionizing radiation directly and indirectly causes DNA damage and increases production of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS). RONS lead to DNA damage and epigenetic changes leading to mutations and genomic instability (GI). Proliferation amplifies the effects of DNA damage and mutations leading to the AO of breast cancer. Separately, RONS and DNA damage also increase inflammation. Inflammation contributes to direct and indirect effects (effects in cells not directly reached by IR) via positive feedback to RONS and DNA damage, and separately increases proliferation and breast cancer through pro-carcinogenic effects on cells and tissue. For example, gene expression changes alter inflammatory mediators, resulting in improved survival and growth of cancer cells and a more hospitable tissue environment. All of these events overlap at multiple points with events characteristic of "background" induction of breast carcinogenesis, including hormone-responsive proliferation, oxidative activity, and DNA damage. These overlaps make the breast particularly susceptible to ionizing radiation and reinforce that these biological activities are important characteristics of carcinogens. Agents that increase these biological processes should be considered potential breast carcinogens, and predictive methods are needed to identify chemicals that increase these processes. Techniques are available to measure RONS, DNA damage and mutation, cell proliferation, and some inflammatory proteins or processes. Improved assays are needed to measure GI and chronic inflammation, as well as the interaction with hormonally driven development and proliferation. Several methods measure diverse epigenetic changes, but it is not clear which changes are relevant to breast cancer. In addition, most toxicological assays are not conducted in mammary tissue, and so it is a priority to evaluate if results from other tissues are generalizable to breast, or to conduct assays in breast tissue. Developing and applying these assays to identify exposures of concern will facilitate efforts to reduce subsequent breast cancer risk.

Adverse outcome pathways for ionizing radiation and breast cancer involve direct and indirect DNA damage, oxidative stress, inflammation, genomic instability, and interaction with hormonal regulation of the breast

Knowledge about established breast carcinogens can support improved and modernized toxicological testing methods by identifying key mechanistic events. Ionizing radiation (IR) increases the risk of breast cancer, especially for women and for exposure at younger ages, and evidence overall supports a linear dose-response relationship. We used the Adverse Outcome Pathway (AOP) framework to outline and evaluate the evidence linking ionizing radiation with breast cancer from molecular initiating events to the adverse outcome through intermediate key events, creating a qualitative AOP. We identified key events based on review articles, searched PubMed for recent literature on key events and IR, and identified additional papers using references. We manually curated publications and evaluated data quality. Ionizing radiation directly and indirectly causes DNA damage and increases production of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS). RONS lead to DNA damage and epigenetic changes leading to mutations and genomic instability (GI). Proliferation amplifies the effects of DNA damage and mutations leading to the AO of breast cancer. Separately, RONS and DNA damage also increase inflammation. Inflammation contributes to direct and indirect effects (effects in cells not directly reached by IR) via positive feedback to RONS and DNA damage, and separately increases proliferation and breast cancer through pro-carcinogenic effects on cells and tissue. For example, gene expression changes alter inflammatory mediators, resulting in improved survival and growth of cancer cells and a more hospitable tissue environment. All of these events overlap at multiple points with events characteristic of "background" induction of breast carcinogenesis, including hormone-responsive proliferation, oxidative activity, and DNA damage. These overlaps make the breast particularly susceptible to ionizing radiation and reinforce that these biological activities are important characteristics of carcinogens. Agents that increase these biological processes should be considered potential breast carcinogens, and predictive methods are needed to identify chemicals that increase these processes. Techniques are available to measure RONS, DNA damage and mutation, cell proliferation, and some inflammatory proteins or processes. Improved assays are needed to measure GI and chronic inflammation, as well as the interaction with hormonally driven development and proliferation. Several methods measure diverse epigenetic changes, but it is not clear which changes are relevant to breast cancer. In addition, most toxicological assays are not conducted in mammary tissue, and so it is a priority to evaluate if results from other tissues are generalizable to breast, or to conduct assays in breast tissue. Developing and applying these assays to identify exposures of concern will facilitate efforts to reduce subsequent breast cancer risk.

Levels of plasma cytokine in patients undergoing neoadjuvant androgen deprivation therapy and external beam radiation therapy for adenocarcinoma of the prostate

Background

Radiotherapy (RT) alone or in combination with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is most common non-operative treatments for localised prostate cancer (PC). Some circulatory cytokines are believed to play an important role in RT resistance and lead to tumour progression, invasion, and angiogenesis. The aim of this study is to assess the influence of ADT and RT on the expression of circulatory cytokines levels in plasma at different time points.

Methods

Between Nov 2015 and Aug 2016, 18 patients with localized PC were selected for this clinical study. All patients had received neoadjuvant ADT using a leuteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LH-RH) analogs prior to RT. Peripheral blood samples were collected prior to ADT, before RT, at the end of RT and 3 months after the completion of RT. Blood plasma samples were monitored for the pro-inflammatory and profibrotic cytokines TNF-α, TGF-β1, IL-6, and IL-8, using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) procedures.

Results

The concentration of TGF-β1 rose while IL-6 levels declined in post-ADT samples when compared pre-ADT. Levels of TGF-β1 increased in post-RT blood plasma compared to pre-RT blood plasma. Those changes were not statically significant. Three months post-RT completion, TGF-β1 levels decreased and IL-6 and IL-8 levels increased. Although levels of TGF-β1, IL-6 and IL-8 were found to be altered 3 months post-RT completion, only changes in IL-8 levels were found to be statistically significant (P=0.05).

Conclusions

In conclusion the changes in cytokines levels have been found after ADT and RT, which strengthen the finding of other clinical studies. Accept that small numbers of samples made difficult to attain significant results. Large clinical studies will be required to validate these findings and hopefully become useful biomarkers in the clinical setting to predict patient outcome and success of treatment received.

Minocycline Reduces Chemoradiation-Related Symptom Burden in Patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Phase 2 Randomized Trial

PURPOSE

In patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), concurrent chemoradiation therapy (CRT) exacerbates a cluster of difficult-to-manage symptoms, especially cancer-related fatigue. Minocycline is a readily available, low-cost antibiotic with antiinflammatory properties. We conducted a phase 2 randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial to investigate the effect of minocycline in reducing CRT-symptom burden in NSCLC.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

Patients with NSCLC scheduled to receive CRT provided consent and were randomized to receive either minocycline (100 mg twice daily) or a matching placebo during 6 to 7 weeks of CRT. Patient-reported fatigue and other symptoms were assessed on MD Anderson Symptom Inventory weekly from the start of CRT for 12 weeks. The primary outcome was 12-week (±2 days) area under the curve for symptom burden, which was compared between treatment groups.

RESULTS

Forty of 49 enrolled patients (80%) were evaluable (19 on minocycline and 21 on placebo). There were no grade 3 + adverse events related to the study medication. Fatigue was significantly reduced in the minocycline group compared with placebo group during the 12-week trial period (area under the curve = 31.2 ± 14.2 vs 45.0 ± 20.9, P = .011), with a large effect size (Cohen's d = 0.77). Pain (Cohen's d = 0.54) and shortness of breath (Cohen's d = 0.55) were also significantly reduced in the minocycline group (all P < .05).

CONCLUSIONS

Minocycline during CRT for NSCLC was feasible, had a low toxicity profile, and yielded a clinically and statistically significant positive signal in reducing symptom burden related to NSCLC and CRT. This study is a proof of concept so a larger trial in CRT patients is warranted.

Quantitative proteomic analysis reveals AK2 as potential biomarker for late normal tissue radiotoxicity

Background

Biomarkers for predicting late normal tissue toxicity to radiotherapy are necessary to personalize treatments and to optimize clinical benefit. Many radiogenomic studies have been published on this topic. Conversely, proteomics approaches are not much developed, despite their advantages.

Methods

We used the isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) proteomic approach to analyze differences in protein expression levels in ex-vivo irradiated (8 Gy) T lymphocytes from patients with grade ≥ 2 radiation-induced breast fibrosis (grade ≥ 2 bf+) and patients with grade < 2 bf + after curative intent radiotherapy. Patients were selected from two prospective clinical trials (COHORT and PHRC 2005) and were used as discovery and confirmation cohorts.

Results

Among the 1979 quantified proteins, 23 fulfilled our stringent biological criteria. Immunoblotting analysis of four of these candidate proteins (adenylate kinase 2, AK2; annexin A1; heat shock cognate 71 kDa protein; and isocitrate dehydrogenase 2) confirmed AK2 overexpression in 8 Gy-irradiated T lymphocytes from patients with grade ≥ 2 bf + compared with patients with grade < 2 bf+. As these candidate proteins are involved in oxidative stress regulation, we also evaluated radiation-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with grade ≥ 2 bf + and grade < 2 bf+. Total ROS level, and especially superoxide anion level, increased upon ex-vivo 8 Gy-irradiation in all patients. Analysis of NADPH oxidases (NOXs), a major source of superoxide ion in the cell, showed a significant increase of NOX4 mRNA and protein levels after irradiation in both patient groups. Conversely, only NOX4 mRNA level was significantly different between groups (grade ≥ 2 bf + and grade < 2 bf+).

Conclusion

These findings identify AK2 as a potential radiosensitivity candidate biomarker. Overall, our proteomic approach highlights the important role of oxidative stress in late radiation-induced toxicity, and paves the way for additional studies on NOXs and superoxide ion metabolism.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s13014-019-1351-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

PET-detected pneumonitis following curative-intent chemoradiation in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC): recognizing patterns and assessing the impact on the predictive ability of FDG-PET/CT response assessment

PURPOSE

Inflammatory FDG uptake in the lung (PET-pneumonitis) following curative-intent radiotherapy (RT)/chemo-RT (CRT) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) can pose a challenge in FDG-PET/CT response assessment. The aim of this study is to describe different patterns of PET-pneumonitis to guide the interpretation of FDG-PET/CT and investigate its association with tumor response and overall survival (OS).

METHODS

Retrospective analysis was performed on 87 NSCLC patients in three prospective trials who were treated with radical RT (n = 7) or CRT (n = 80), with baseline and post-treatment FDG-PET/CT. Visual criteria were performed for post-treatment FDG-PET/CT response assessment. The grading of PET-pneumonitis was based on relative lung uptake intensity compared to organs of reference and classified as per Deauville score from grade 1-5. Distribution patterns of PET-pneumonitis were defined as follows: A) patchy/sub-pleural; B) diffuse (involving more than a segment); and C) peripheral (diffusely surrounding a photopenic region).

RESULTS

Follow-up FDG-PET/CT scans were performed approximately 3 months (median, 89 days; interquartile range, 79-93) after RT. Overall, PET-pneumonitis was present in 62/87 (71%) of patients, with Deauville 2 or 3 in 12/62 (19%) and 4 or 5 in 50/62 (81%) of patients. The frequency of patterns A, B and C of PET-pneumonitis was 19/62 (31%), 20/62 (32%) and 23/62 (37%), respectively. No association was found between grade or pattern of PET-pneumonitis and overall response at follow-up PET/CT (p = 0.27 and p = 0.56, respectively). There was also no significant association between PET-pneumonitis and OS (hazard ratio [HR], 1.3; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.6-2.5; p = 0.45). Early FDG-PET/CT response assessment, however, was prognostic for OS (HR, 1.7; 95% CI, 1.2-2.2; p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

PET-pneumonitis is common in early post-CRT/RT, but pattern recognition may assist in response assessment by FDG-PET/CT. While FDG-PET/CT is a powerful tool for response assessment and prognostication, PET-pneumonitis does not appear to confound early response assessment or to independently predict OS.

Cytokines expression levels from tissue, plasma or serum as promising clinical biomarkers in adenocarcinoma of the prostate: a systematic review of recent findings

Prostate cancer (PC) is a common cancer (excluding non-melanoma skin cancer) in men in many parts of the world, although incidence and mortality rates vary significantly by population. In current medical practice, prognostic markers for PC include the presenting serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level, tumour Gleason score (GS) and clinical tumour stage. However, existing pre-treatment factors cannot be used to predict acute radiotherapy (RT)-induced toxicity. Therefore, new protein biomarkers are required in RT oncology to improve decision-making, treatment and therapy monitoring for PC patients. The aim of this systematic review is to the update potential research to address the difference in cytokine expression and their association with RT-induced toxicity and clinical outcomes. Studies were collected after searching three electronic databases: PubMed, Medline, and Google Scholar. An additional search was carried out through cross-check on a bibliography of selected articles. After the selection process made by two of the authors, 19 articles met the inclusion criteria and were included in the systematic review. Results from previous studies identified elevated levels of cytokines have been reported in several types of cancers and have sometimes correlated with disease progression or prognosis. Elevated levels of cytokine were noticed after immediate exposure to RT and their association with RT-induced acute/late toxicity of PC patients. Moreover, above studies also identified overexpression of cytokines on tumour biopsies and correlation with shortening cancer-specific survival and biochemical recurrence. Thus, altered levels of cytokine might be predictive biomarkers for RT-induced and clinical outcomes of PC patients.

Ferroptosis inhibitor alleviates Radiation-induced lung fibrosis (RILF) via down-regulation of TGF-β1

Background

Radiation-induced lung fibrosis (RILF) is a severe and life-threatening complication of thoracic radiotherapy. Cell death is the key issue in RILF. Ferroptosis is a form programmed cell death implicated in the pathologies of inflammation. This study aimed to investigate the role of ferroptosis in RILF, and the effectiveness and the potential underlying mechanism of ferroptosis inhibitor on RILF.

Methods

Immunofluorescence, western blot and RT-PCR assays were performed to examine the ferroptosis maker glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) in a mice RILF model. The lung tissue sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E), Masson trichrome staining and Sirius-Red staining to evaluate the histopathological changes in RILF mice. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and hydroxyproline (HYP) in lungs were measured by the relevant kits. The serum levels of inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6, IL-10, and TGF-β1) were measured with Elisa. The protein and mRNA levels of GPX4, nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (Nrf2), hemeoxygenase-1 (HO1) and quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) in lungs were examined by western blot and RT-PCR.

Results

GPX4 levels of the irradiated lungs were significantly down-regulated than the groups with no irradiation, and the ferroptosis inhibitor, liproxstatin-1, increased GPX4 levels significantly in RILF mice. Treatment with liproxstatin-1 lowered the Szapiel and Ashcroft scores significantly, down-regulated the levels of ROS and HYP in lungs and reduced the serum inflammatory cytokines levels in RILF mice. The protein and the mRNA levels of Nrf2, HO1 and NQO1 were up-regulated by liproxsratin-1 in RILF.

Conclusions

Our data suggested that ferroptosis played a critical role in RILF, ferroptosis inhibitor liproxstatin-1 alleviated RILF via down-regulation of TGF-β1 by the activation of Nrf2 pathway. The effectiveness of ferroptosis inhibition on RILF provides a novel therapeutic target for RILF.

Suplatast tosilate reduces radiation-induced lung injury in mice through suppression of oxidative stress

PURPOSE

Although radiotherapy is important in the treatment of malignant thoracic tumors, it has harmful effects on healthy tissues. We previously showed that suplatast tosilate, an anti-allergic agent, scavenged reactive oxygen species (ROS), including hydroxyl radicals. Because ROS-mediated oxidative stress is involved in radiation-induced lung injury, we hypothesized that suplatast tosilate could reduce radiation-induced lung injury via suppression of oxidative stress.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

Murine alveolar epithelial cells were irradiated with or without a medium containing suplatast tosilate in vitro to determine whether the agent had cytoprotective effects against radiation-induced injury. On the other hand, the thoracic region of C57BL/6 mice was exposed to a single irradiation dose of 15 Gy and the effects of suplatast tosilate were determined by a histological evaluation and assessment of the following parameters: cell number and inflammatory cytokine levels in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, and oxidative stress markers and hydroxyproline content in pulmonary tissues.

RESULTS

Suplatast tosilate protected murine alveolar epithelial cells in vitro from irradiation-induced inhibition of cell proliferation, which was accompanied by the suppression of intracellular ROS and DNA double-strand breaks induced by irradiation. Oxidative stress markers and the levels of inflammatory and fibrogenic cytokines were upregulated in irradiated murine lungs in vivo. Suplatast tosilate suppressed both oxidative stress markers and the levels of cytokines, which resulted in reduced pulmonary fibrosis and clearly improved the survival rate after irradiation.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings demonstrate that suplatast tosilate could be a useful lung-protective agent that acts via suppression of oxidative stress associated with thoracic radiotherapy.

Annexin A1-mediated inhibition of inflammatory cytokines may facilitate the resolution of inflammation in acute radiation-induced lung injury

The present study evaluated the role of annexin A1 (ANXA1) in the treatment of acute radiation-induced lung injury (RILI) and investigated the mechanism of its action. The expression of ANXA1, interleukin-6 (IL-6) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) in the plasma of patients with RILI prior to and following hormonotherapy was assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The association of plasma ANXA1 concentration with clinical effect, and the correlation between the expression of ANXA1 and that of IL-6 and MPO were evaluated. ANXA1 was overexpressed or knocked down in a macrophage cell line, and its impact on IL-6 and MPO expression was measured. Following glucocorticoid hormonotherapy, patients with RILI exhibited a higher plasma concentration of ANXA1 compared with that prior to treatment, while IL-6 and MPO levels were lower. The concentration of ANXA1 in plasma was negatively correlated with IL-6 and MPO levels, with a correlation coefficient of -0.492 and -0.437, respectively (P<0.001). The increasing concentration of ANXA1 in plasma following treatment was associated with the clinical effect in patients with RILI (P=0.007). The expression levels of of IL-6 and MPO were inhibited both in the cytoplasm and in the culture solution, when ANXA1 expression was upregulated in a macrophage cell line. In conclusion, ANXA1 inhibited the synthesis and secretion of IL-6 and MPO inflammatory cytokines, indicating that ANXA1 may have therapeutic potential as a treatment target for RILI.

Chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapy and other therapeutics for malignancies: Combination and opportunity

Chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cell therapy provides possibility for the treatment of malignancies since clinical trials have shown that CAR-T therapy has a significant anti-tumor effect. Although many efforts have been made to improve the efficacy and reduce the side effects of CAR-T therapy, there are still many problems to solve. With the rapid development of this field, combination immunotherapy has been proved to improve the efficacy of CAR-T therapy. Studies have shown that radiotherapy, chemotherapy, oncolytic virotherapy, BTK inhibitors and immune checkpoint blockade-based therapy may further enhance the efficacy of CAR-T therapy while CRISPR/Cas9 technology and IL-1 blockade may improve the safety. In this review, we summarized the advantages and the mechanisms of the combination immunotherapy based on CAR-T cell therapy.

Cytokine Modulation in Breast Cancer Patients Undergoing Radiotherapy: A Revision of the Most Recent Studies

Breast cancer (BC) is the most common tumor and the second cause for cancer-related death in women worldwide, although combined treatments are well-established interventions. Several effects seem to be responsible for poor outcomes in advanced or triple-negative BC patients. Focusing on the interaction of ionizing radiation with tumor and normal tissues, the role of cytokine modulation as a surrogate of immunomodulation must still be explored. In this work, we carried out an overview of studies published in the last five years involving the cytokine profile in BC patients undergoing radiotherapy. The goal of this review was to evaluate the profile and modulation of major cytokines and interleukins as potential biomarkers of survival, treatment response, and toxicity in BC patient undergoing radiotherapy. Out of 47 retrieved papers selected using PubMed search, 15 fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Different studies reported that the modulation of specific cytokines was time- and treatment-dependent. Radiotherapy (RT) induces the modulation of inflammatory cytokines up to 6 months for most of the analyzed cytokines, which in some cases can persist up to several years post-treatment. The role of specific cytokines as prognostic and predictive of radiotherapy outcome is critically discussed.

Development of a biodosimeter for radiation triage using novel blood protein biomarker panels in humans and non-human primates

Purpose: In a significant nuclear event, hundreds of thousands of individuals will require rapid triage for absorbed radiation to ensure effective medical treatment and efficient use of medical resources. We are developing a rapid screening method to assess whether an individual received an absorbed dose of ≥2 Gy based on the analysis of a specific panel of blood proteins in a fingerstick blood sample.Materials and methods: We studied a data set of 1051 human blood samples obtained from radiotherapy patients, normal healthy individuals, and several special population groups. We compared the findings in humans with those from irradiation studies in non-human primates (NHPs).Results: We identified a panel of three protein biomarkers, salivary alpha amylase (AMY1), Flt3 ligand (FLT3L), and monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP1), which are upregulated in human patients receiving fractionated doses of total body irradiation (TBI) therapy as a treatment for cancer. These proteins exhibited a similar radiation response in NHPs after single acute or fractionated doses of ionizing radiation.Conclusion: Our work provides confidence in this biomarker panel for biodosimetry triage using fingerstick blood samples and in the use of NHPs as a model for irradiated humans.

A Functional Immune System Is Required for the Systemic Genotoxic Effects of Localized Irradiation

PURPOSE

Nontargeted effects of ionizing radiation, by which unirradiated cells and tissues are also damaged, are a relatively new paradigm in radiobiology. We recently reported radiation-induced abscopal effects (RIAEs) in normal tissues; namely, DNA damage, apoptosis, and activation of the local and systemic immune responses in C57BL6/J mice after irradiation of a small region of the body. High-dose-rate, synchrotron-generated broad beam or multiplanar x-ray microbeam radiation therapy was used with various field sizes and doses. This study explores components of the immune system involved in the generation of these abscopal effects.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

The following mice with various immune deficiencies were irradiated with the microbeam radiation therapy beam: (1) SCID/IL2γR^-/- (NOD SCID gamma, NSG) mice, (2) wild-type C57BL6/J mice treated with an antibody-blocking macrophage colony-stimulating factor 1 receptor, which depletes and alters the function of macrophages, and (3) chemokine ligand 2/monocyte chemotactic protein 1 null mice. Complex DNA damage (ie, DNA double-strand breaks), oxidatively induced clustered DNA lesions, and apoptotic cells in tissues distant from the irradiation site were measured as RIAE endpoints and compared with those in wild-type C57BL6/J mice.

RESULTS

Wild-type mice accumulated double-strand breaks, oxidatively induced clustered DNA lesions, and apoptosis, enforcing our RIAE model. However, these effects were completely or partially abrogated in mice with immune disruption, highlighting the pivotal role of the immune system in propagation of systemic genotoxic effects after localized irradiation.

CONCLUSIONS

These results underline the importance of not only delineating the best strategies for tumor control but also mitigating systemic radiation toxicity.

Thalidomide (THD) alleviates radiation induced lung fibrosis (RILF) via down-regulation of TGF-β/Smad3 signaling pathway in an Nrf2-dependent manner

Radiation-induced lung fibrosis (RILF) is a complication of radiotherapy in thoracic cancer patients. Thalidomide (THD) has a therapeutic effect on fibrotic and inflammatory disorders. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the therapeutic effect of THD on RILF in mice and better understand the underlying regulatory mechanisms of the therapeutic effect. We found that THD mitigated the fibrosis caused by irradiation in mice. The action of THD on RILF was related to the elevation of low levels reactive oxygen species (ROS), which inhibited the transforming growth factor‑β (TGF‑β)/Smad3 signaling pathway through activation of nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (Nrf2). Analysis of the therapeutic effect of THD using Nrf2-/- mouse model confirmed the role of Nrf2 in vivo. In addition, no radioprotective effect of THD on thoracic cancer cell lines was observed. In conclusion, these data showed that THD attenuated RILF in mice, which was mediated by Nrf2-dependent down-regulation of the TGF-β/Smad3 pathway, suggesting THD as a potential novel agent for RILF prevention.

Cytokines and radiation-induced pulmonary injuries

Radiation therapy is one of the most common treatment strategies for thorax malignancies. One of the considerable limitations of this therapy is its toxicity to normal tissue. The lung is the major dose-limiting organ for radiotherapy. That is because ionizing radiation produces reactive oxygen species that induce lesions, and not only is tumor tissue damaged, but overwhelming inflammatory lung damage can occur in the alveolar epithelium and capillary endothelium. This damage may result in radiation-induced pneumonitis and/or fibrosis. While describing the lung response to irradiation generally, the main focus of this review is on cytokines and their roles and functions within the individual stages. We discuss the relationship between radiation and cytokines and their direct and indirect effects on the formation and development of radiation injuries. Although this topic has been intensively studied and discussed for years, we still do not completely understand the roles of cytokines. Experimental data on cytokine involvement are fragmented across a large number of experimental studies; hence, the need for this review of the current knowledge. Cytokines are considered not only as molecular factors involved in the signaling network in pathological processes, but also for their diagnostic potential. A concentrated effort has been made to identify the significant immune system proteins showing positive correlation between serum levels and tissue damages. Elucidating the correlations between the extent and nature of radiation-induced pulmonary injuries and the levels of one or more key cytokines that initiate and control those damages may improve the efficacy of radiotherapy in cancer treatment and ultimately the well-being of patients.

Nebulisation of synthetic lamellar lipids mitigates radiation-induced lung injury in a large animal model

Methods to protect against radiation-induced lung injury (RILI) will facilitate the development of more effective radio-therapeutic protocols for lung cancer and may provide the means to protect the wider population in the event of a deliberate or accidental nuclear or radiological event. We hypothesised that supplementing lipid membranes through nebulization of synthetic lamellar lipids would mitigate RILI. Following pre-treatment with either nebulised lamellar lipids or saline, anaesthetised sheep were prescribed fractionated radiotherapy (30 Gray (Gy) total dose in five 6 Gy fractions at 3–4 days intervals) to a defined unilateral lung volume. Gross pathology in radio-exposed lung 37 days after the first radiation treatment was consistent between treatment groups and consisted of deep red congestion evident on the pleural surface and firmness on palpation. Consistent histopathological features in radio-exposed lung were subpleural, periarteriolar and peribronchial intra-alveolar oedema, alveolar fibrosis, interstitial pneumonia and type II pneumocyte hyperplasia. The synthetic lamellar lipids abrogated radiation-induced alveolar fibrosis and reduced alpha-smooth muscle actin (ASMA) expression in radio-exposed lung compared to saline treated sheep. Administration of synthetic lamellar lipids was also associated with an increased number of cells expressing dendritic cell-lysosomal associated membrane protein throughout the lung.

Haplodeletion of Follistatin-Like 1 Attenuates Radiation-Induced Pulmonary Fibrosis in Mice

PURPOSE

Radiation-induced pulmonary fibrosis (RIPF) is a severe and life-threatening complication of radiation therapy in patients with thoracic cancer; however, the exact molecular mechanisms remain unknown, and there is no effective treatment method in clinic. Here, we assessed the role of follistatin-like 1 (Fstl1) in RIPF.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

Protein and messenger RNA levels of Fstl1 in lung tissues from symptomatic RIPF patients, Rhesus macaques, and mice were assessed. Fibrotic and inflammatory responses to radiation-induced lung injury and accumulation of myofibroblasts in Fstl1 haplodeficient (Fstl1^+/-) mice were determined. Finally, radiation-induced differentiation and activation of fibroblasts in primary Fstl1^+/- lung fibroblasts were evaluated.

RESULTS

FSTL1 amounts were significantly increased in serum and/or radiation-injured lung specimens from symptomatic RIPF patients, Rhesus macaques, and mice. Haplodeletion of Fstl1 in Fstl1^+/- mice was protective against x-ray-induced lung injury in mice in vivo, as well as myofibroblast activation in vitro.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that Fstl1 plays an important role in lung fibrosis and may offer a potential approach to attenuate RIPF in radiation therapy of patients with thoracic cancer.