Hultin S, Nahar K, Menzies AM, Long GV, Fernando SL, Atkinson V, Cebon J, Wong MG. Histological diagnosis of immune checkpoint inhibitor induced acute renal injury in patients with metastatic melanoma: a retrospective case series report.
BMC Nephrol 2020;
21:391. [PMID:
32894101 PMCID:
PMC7487459 DOI:
10.1186/s12882-020-02044-9]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2020] [Accepted: 08/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) have become the standard of care in many oncological conditions but are associated with a spectrum of renal immune-related adverse events (IrAEs). We aimed to describe the spectrum, histology, management and outcomes of renal IrAE in patients with metastatic melanoma undergoing ICI therapy.
METHODS
We conducted a retrospective review of 23 patients with a diagnosis of metastatic melanoma treated with ICI between January 2017 and April 2019 who developed a renal IrAE. Baseline demographic data, biochemical and histopathological results, management and outcomes were analyzed.
RESULTS
The majority of patients who developed renal irAE were male and received combination immunotherapy. The median time of onset from initiation of ICI therapy to renal IrAE was 4 months. 52% of the treated renal IrAE had histopathologically confirmed renal IrAE. The most common histological pattern of injury was acute tubulo-interstitial nephritis (92%). One patient developed anti-GBM disease with non-dialysis dependent stage 5 CKD. In tubulointerstitial injury, there was no association between peak creatinine, renal recovery and histologically reported inflammation or fibrosis. Patients with renal IrAE demonstrated persisting renal dysfunction at 3, 6 and 12 months with a mean baseline, 3 and 12 month creatinine of 90.0 μmol/L, 127.0 μmol/L and 107.5 μmol/L respectively.
CONCLUSION
Renal IrAE is most commonly attributable to steroid responsive acute tubulointerstitial nephritis. The outcome of rarer pathologies such as anti-GBM disease may be adversely affected by a delayed diagnosis. There is persisting renal dysfunction following an episode of renal IrAE that may have impact on future renal and overall survival outcomes.
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