Nephrotoxicity of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: Acute Kidney Injury and Beyond

A case of biopsy-proven acute interstitial nephritis following atezolizumab-bevacizumab treatment of advanced unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND

The advent of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) represented a significant breakthrough in cancer therapy. Recently, the combined use of atezolizumab and bevacizumab was approved as first-line treatment for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Exposure to a novel and diverse spectrum of immune-related adverse events (irAEs) has increased with the growing utilization of ICIs, however, a comprehensive understanding surrounding newer agents is still lacking. The incidence of kidney toxicities is rare but rising, often underreported due to the lack of confirmatory biopsies. Here, we present a rare case of biopsy-proven acute interstitial nephritis (AIN) following atezolizumab-bevacizumab treatment of advanced unresectable HCC.

CASE

An 84-year-old male with T4N0M0 hepatocellular carcinoma was admitted after cycle 5 of atezolizumab due to decreased urine output and dysuria with a serum creatine of 4.7 mg/dL compared to a baseline of 1.3 mg/dL. To confirm the diagnosis of possible intrinsic renal injury, an ultrasound-guided non-focal biopsy of the left kidney was performed, revealing AIN. Potential exacerbatory medications, such as proton-pump inhibitors, were discontinued. The patient was discharged on oral steroids with improvement in serum creatinine. Before completing the steroid taper, the patient developed pneumocystis pneumonia and eventually transitioned to hospice care.

CONCLUSION

This case highlights the valuable role renal biopsy can play in accurately capturing irAEs and guiding appropriate management in the setting of ICI-induced AKI. It also exemplifies important considerations for steroid treatment of irAEs in the setting of comorbidities, such as diabetes.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors and acute kidney injury

As a new type of anti-tumor immunotherapy, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have improved the prognosis of multiple malignancies. However, renal complications are becoming more frequent. Nephrotoxicity often manifests as acute kidney injury (AKI), and the most common histopathological type is acute tubulointerstitial nephritis (ATIN). Based on previous studies of the incidence and potential risk factors for nephrotoxicity, in this review, we describe the mechanism of AKI after ICIs treatment, summarize the incidence, risk factors, and outcomes of AKI, and discuss the diagnosis and management of immune checkpoint inhibitors-associated acute kidney injury (ICI-AKI). In addition, we review the current status of ICIs rechallenge and the therapeutic strategies of ICIs applied in kidney transplant recipients. Finally, we emphasize the importance of collaboration between nephrologists and oncologists to guide the treatment of ICIs and the management of renal complications.

Nephrotoxicity of immune checkpoint inhibitor combination therapy in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma: a meta-analysis

PURPOSE

Few data are available regarding the nephrotoxicity of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) combination therapy in advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC). This study aimed to investigate the nephrotoxicity of ICI-based combination therapy versus standard of care sunitinib in patients with advanced RCC.

METHODS

We searched Embase/PubMed/Cochrane Library for relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Treatment-related nephrotoxicities including increase of creatinine and proteinuria were analyzed by Review Manager 5.4 software.

RESULTS

Seven RCTs involving 5239 patients were included. The analysis showed that ICI combination therapy had similar risks of any grade (RR = 1.03, 95% CI: 0.77-1.37, P = 0.87) and grade 3-5 (RR = 1.48, 95% CI: 0.19-11.66, P = 0.71) increased creatinine compared with sunitinib monotherapy. However, ICI combination therapy was associated with significantly higher risks of any grade (RR = 2.33, 95% CI: 1.54-3.51, P < 0.0001) and grade 3-5 proteinuria (RR = 2.25, 95% CI: 1.21-4.17, P = 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

This meta-analysis suggests that ICI combination therapy shows more nephrotoxicity of proteinuria than sunitinib in advanced RCC, which deserves a high attention in the clinic.

Toxicity of Immune-Checkpoint Inhibitors in Hematological Malignancies

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), especially those targeting the programmed-death 1 (PD-1) receptor and its ligands, have become indispensable agents in solid tumor anti-cancer therapy. Concerning hematological malignancies, only nivolumab and pembrolizumab have been approved for the treatment of relapsed and refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma and primary mediastinal large B cell lymphoma to date. Nevertheless, clinical research in this field is very active. The mechanism of action of ICIs is based on unblocking the hindered immune system to recognize and eliminate cancer cells, but that also has its costs in the form of ICI-specific immune related adverse events (irAEs), which can affect any organ system and can even be lethal. In this article, we have reviewed all prospective blood cancer clinical trials investigating ICIs (both monotherapy and combination therapy) with available toxicity data with the purpose of determining the incidence of irAEs in this specific setting and to offer a brief insight into their management, as the use of immune checkpoint blockade is not so frequent in hemato-oncology.