Clinical‐radiological characteristics and intestinal microbiota in patients with pancreatic immune‐related adverse events. Issue 12 (4th May 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Tan, Bei; Chen, Min‐jiang; Guo, Qi; Tang, Hao; Li, Yue; Jia, Xin‐miao; Xu, Yan; Zhu, Liang; Wang, Meng‐zhao; Qian, Jia‐ming
• Is Part Of: Thoracic cancer. Volume 12:Issue 12(2021)
• Page Start: 1814
• Page End: 1823
• Publication Date: 2021-05-04
• Subjects: immune checkpoint inhibitors -- immune‐related adverse events -- microbiota -- pancreatic disease; Chest -- Cancer -- Periodicals; Chest -- Cancer -- Treatment -- Periodicals; Chest -- Surgery -- Periodicals; 616.99494005
• DOI: 10.1111/1759-7714.13990
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1759-7706

Abstract

Abstract: Background: The pancreatic immune‐related adverse event (irAE) is a rare but increasingly occurrence disease with limited knowledge, which was associated with the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Methods: In this case series study of pancreatic irAE patients, clinical and radiological manifestations are summarized. Baseline and post‐treatment fecal microbiota of immune‐related acute pancreatitis (irAP) patients were analyzed by the 16 s rDNA amplicon sequencing method. Results: A total of six patients were enrolled into the study, and the onset of pancreatic irAEs occurred a median of 105 days after a median of 4.5 cycles with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). All patients had an effective response to ICIs. Abdominal pain was the main clinical manifestation. Serum amylase (sAMY) and lipase (sLIP) had dynamic changes parallel to clinical severity. Contrast‐enhanced computed tomography (CT) did not accurately reveal the level of inflammation. However, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was a sensitive imaging method which showed decreased and increased signal intensity of pancreatic parenchyma in T1‐weighted fat‐saturated and diffusion‐weighted imaging, respectively. Glucocorticoids were the main treatment with a rapid initial effect followed by a slow improvement. After reinitiation of ICI therapy, pancreatic irAEs either deteriorated, remained stable or the patient developed severe pancreatic β‐cell destruction without irAP recurrence. The baseline microbiota of irAP had low Bacteroidetes / Firmicutes ratio at phylum level, low relative abundance of Alistipes, Bacteroides and high Lachnospiraceae at genus level, compared to levels of pancreatic β‐cell destruction and post‐treatment of irAP. Conclusions: Pancreatic irAE patients had corresponding abdominal pain and increase in sAMY/sLIP. MRI was found to be an ideal imaging modality. Treatment with glucocorticoids were the main approach. The microbiota showed relative changes at baseline and during treatment. Abstract : Following onset and glucocorticoid treatment of severe immune‐related acute pancreatitis (irAP) (A), the serum amylase and lipase had parallel changes with the clinical conditions (B). The contrast‐enhanced CT did not accurately reveal the inflammation level; however, the MRI including T1‐weighted fat‐saturated, diffusion‐weighted image and magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography clarified the radiological characteristics and dynamic changes of irAP (C). Correspondingly, the microbiota had relative changes at baseline and during treatment (D).