Differential Dermatologic Adverse Events Associated With Checkpoint Inhibitor Monotherapy and Combination Therapy: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Control Trials

Background: As immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) transition to the forefront of cancer treatment, a better understanding of immune related adverse events (IRAEs) is essential to promote safe clinical practice. Dermatologic adverse events are the most common IRAEs and can lead to drug withdrawal and decreased quality of life. This meta-analysis aimed to investigate the risk of the most prevalent dermatologic adverse events (pruritus and rash) among various ICI treatment regimens.Methods: A systematic search of electronic databases was performed to identify qualified randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Data for any grade and high grade pruritus and rash were extracted for meta-analysis. Two reviewers independently assessed methodological quality. The relative risk summary and 95% confidence interval were calculated.Results: 50 RCTs involving 29941 patients were analyzed. The risk of pruritus (2.15 and 4.21 relative risk respectively) and rash (1.61 and 3.89 relative risk respectively) developing from CTLA-4 or PD-1/-L1 inhibitor were increased compared to placebo, but this effect was not dose-dependent. PD-1/-L1 plus CTLA-4 inhibitor was associated with increased risk of pruritus (1.76 and 0.98 relative risk respectively) and rash (1.72 and 1.37 relative risk respectively) compared to either monotherapy. Compared with CTLA-4 inhibitor, PD-1/-L1 inhibitor had a significantly decreased risk of pruritus and rash in both monotherapy and combination therapy (0.65 and 0.29 relative risk respectively). No significant difference was found between PD-1/-L1 inhibitor combined with chemotherapy and PD-1/-L1 monotherapy in any grade and high grade rash (0.84 and 1.43 relative risk respectively). In subgroup analyses, PD-1 inhibitor was associated with reduced risk of pruritus and rash compared to PD-L1 inhibitor.Conclusion: Our meta-analysis demonstrates a better safety profile for PD-1/-L1 inhibitor compared to CTLA-4 inhibitor in terms of pruritus and rash among both monotherapy and multiple combination therapies. PD-L1 inhibitor may contribute to an increased risk of pruritus and rash compared to PD-1 inhibitor.

Dermatologic adverse events of brentuximab vedotin: Characteristics, management, and their relationship with dose regimen.

3049 Background: Owing to its high efficacy and tolerability, brentuximab vedotin (BV) is increasingly being favored over other aggressive systemic therapies for the treatment of various CD30+ Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphomas, including peripheral T-cell lymphoma and cutaneous T-cell lymphomas. Dermatologic adverse events (dAE) are one of the most common toxicities associated with BV but data regarding their characteristics including correlation to dose, time to occurrence, and management is scarce. We aim to describe the clinical and pathologic characteristics of dAEs associated with BV, their relationship with administered dose regimen, and available management strategies. Methods: An IRB-approved retrospective analysis was conducted for all patients who had received at least one cycle of BV from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in 2009-2020. Logistic regression, χ2, student’s t-test were performed for univariate analyses. Kaplan-Meier survival and multivariate Cox proportional hazard model evaluated dAE occurrence stratified by 5 major dose regimens (single cycle, 1.2mg q1w, 1.2mg q2w, 1.2mg q3w, 1.8mg q3w). Results: Of 611 patients, 201 experienced dAE with median time-to-event of 24 days and 29% experiencing > 1 dAEs. Rash was the most common (62%; 142/230), followed by alopecia (20%) and xerosis (13%). For rash, 50% reported involvement of only the extremities and/or acral sites compared to 25% who had generalized rash. Of those reported (111), 68 patients had grade 1 dAE (61%), 38 grade 2 (34%), and 5 grade 3 (5%)-all grade 3 were rash (maculopapular/morbilliform). 14 cases (7%) resulted in treatment interruptions and 6 in discontinuations due to dAEs (3%). Pathology were often nonspecific consistent with a hypersensitivity reaction: spongiotic/psoriasiform dermatitis with perivascular lymphocytic infiltrates . Patients undergoing weekly regimen were at a statistically and clinically significantly higher risk of dAE during the first 100 days of BV treatment (p = 0.001). Between the two most frequently administered dose regimens (1.8mg vs. 1.2mg, q3w), the higher dose carried 105% higher risk for dAE (HR: 2.047, p = 0.053). Those who had received a single cycle of BV had the lowest risk compared to all other regimen (1/42, p = 0.001). Topical and/or systemic steroids were most frequently prescribed (43%) with 12% of patients requiring systemic steroids. Other treatments varied ranging from antihistamines to moisturizers. Conclusions: Understanding of the detailed characteristics, management strategies, dose-dependent effects associated with BV is critical to provide clinical guidance for primary providers and minimize treatment interruptions or discontinuations. The results overall suggest that the risk for dAEs is dose-dependent with those undergoing frequent dosing regimens having a greater risk, although most dAEs remain mild or low-grade.

Activated Lymphocytes and Increased Risk of Dermatologic Adverse Events during Sorafenib Therapy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Advanced hepatocellular carcinoma patients treated with sorafenib who develop early dermatologic adverse events (eDAEs) have a better prognosis. This may be linked to immune mechanisms, and thus, it is relevant to assess the association between peripheral immunity and the probability of developing eDAEs. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells of 52 HCC patients treated with sorafenib were analyzed at baseline and throughout the first eight weeks of therapy. T, B, Natural Killer cells, and their immune checkpoints expression data were characterized by flow cytometry. Cytokine release and immune-suppression assays were carried out ex vivo. Cox baseline and time-dependent regression models were applied to evaluate the probability of increased risk of eDAEs. DNAM-1, PD-1, CD69, and LAG-3 in T cells, plus CD16 and LAG-3 in NK cells, are significantly associated with the probability of developing eDAEs. While NK DNAM-1+ cells express activation markers, T DNAM-1+ cells induce immune suppression and show immune exhaustion. This is the first study to report an association between immune checkpoints expression in circulating immune cells and the increased incidence of eDAEs. Our results support the hypothesis for an off-target role of sorafenib in immune modulation. We also describe a novel association between DNAM-1 and immune exhaustion in T cells.