Acute kidney injury associated with immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy: incidence, risk factors and outcomes

Background Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICPi) are a novel and promising anti-cancer therapy. There are limited data on the incidence, risk factors and outcomes of acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients receiving ICPi.Methods We conducted a cohort study of patients receiving ICPi at our center betwee...

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Main Authors: Eitan Amir, Joseph Kim, Christopher Chan, Alejandro Meraz-Muñoz, Pamela Ng, Carmen Avila-Casado, Claire Ragobar, Ron Wald, Abhijat Kitchlu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMJ Publishing Group 2020-05-01
Series:Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer
Online Access:https://jitc.bmj.com/content/8/1/e000467.full
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author Eitan Amir
Joseph Kim
Christopher Chan
Alejandro Meraz-Muñoz
Pamela Ng
Carmen Avila-Casado
Claire Ragobar
Ron Wald
Abhijat Kitchlu
author_facet Eitan Amir
Joseph Kim
Christopher Chan
Alejandro Meraz-Muñoz
Pamela Ng
Carmen Avila-Casado
Claire Ragobar
Ron Wald
Abhijat Kitchlu
author_sort Eitan Amir
collection DOAJ
description Background Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICPi) are a novel and promising anti-cancer therapy. There are limited data on the incidence, risk factors and outcomes of acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients receiving ICPi.Methods We conducted a cohort study of patients receiving ICPi at our center between 2010 and 2017 via electronic health record. The primary outcome was AKI (increase of >50% from baseline serum creatinine (sCr)). Risk factors for AKI were assessed using logistic regression. Survival among those with and without AKI was compared using the Kaplan-Meier method.Results Among 309 patients on ICPi, 51 (16.5%) developed AKI (Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) stages 1: 53%, 2: 22%, 3: 25%). AKI was associated with other immune-related adverse events (IRAE) (OR 3.2, 95% CI 1.6 to 6; p<0.001), hypertension (OR 4.3, 95% CI 1.8 to 6.1; p<0.001) and cerebrovascular disease (OR 9.2; 95% CI 2.1 to 40; p<0.001). Baseline sCr, cancer, and ICPi type was not associated with AKI. Use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin-receptor blockers (OR 2.9; 95% CI 1.5 to 5.7; p=0.002), diuretics (OR 4.3; 95% CI 1.9 to 9.8; p<0.001), and corticosteroid treatment (OR 1.9; 95% CI 1.1 to 3.6; p=0.03) were associated with AKI. In the multivariable analysis, AKI was associated only with other IRAE (OR 2.82; 95% CI 1.45 to 5.48; p=0.002) and hypertension (OR 2.96; 95% CI 1.33 to 6.59; p=0.008). AKI was not associated with increased risk of mortality (HR 1.1; 95% CI: 0.8 to 1.6; p=0.67). ICPi nephrotoxicity was attributed via biopsy or nephrologist assessment in 12 patients (six interstitial nephritis, two membranous nephropathy, two minimal change disease, and two thrombotic microangiopathy). Subsequent doses of ICPi were administered to 12 patients with prior AKI, with one (8.3%) having recurrent AKI.Conclusion AKI is a common complication in patients receiving ICPi treatment. The development of other IRAE and previous diagnosis of hypertension were associated with increased AKI risk. AKI was not associated with worse survival. Distinguishing kidney IRAE from other causes of AKI will present a frequent challenge to oncology and nephrology practitioners. Kidney biopsy should be considered to characterize kidney lesions and guide potential therapy.
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spelling doaj-art-71cba424d41f4975a0fa3e0a9820d5a62025-08-20T02:14:30ZengBMJ Publishing GroupJournal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer2051-14262020-05-018110.1136/jitc-2019-000467Acute kidney injury associated with immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy: incidence, risk factors and outcomesEitan Amir0Joseph Kim1Christopher Chan2Alejandro Meraz-Muñoz3Pamela Ng4Carmen Avila-Casado5Claire Ragobar6Ron Wald7Abhijat Kitchlu88 Department of Medical Oncology and Hematology, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, CanadaAff5 grid.433818.5Yale Cancer Center New Haven CT USAAff39 Compugen Inc, USA South San Francisco CA USA1 Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada3 Department of Pharmacy, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada4 Department of Pathology, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada1 Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canadaassociate professorDivision of Nephrology, University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, CanadaBackground Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICPi) are a novel and promising anti-cancer therapy. There are limited data on the incidence, risk factors and outcomes of acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients receiving ICPi.Methods We conducted a cohort study of patients receiving ICPi at our center between 2010 and 2017 via electronic health record. The primary outcome was AKI (increase of >50% from baseline serum creatinine (sCr)). Risk factors for AKI were assessed using logistic regression. Survival among those with and without AKI was compared using the Kaplan-Meier method.Results Among 309 patients on ICPi, 51 (16.5%) developed AKI (Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) stages 1: 53%, 2: 22%, 3: 25%). AKI was associated with other immune-related adverse events (IRAE) (OR 3.2, 95% CI 1.6 to 6; p<0.001), hypertension (OR 4.3, 95% CI 1.8 to 6.1; p<0.001) and cerebrovascular disease (OR 9.2; 95% CI 2.1 to 40; p<0.001). Baseline sCr, cancer, and ICPi type was not associated with AKI. Use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin-receptor blockers (OR 2.9; 95% CI 1.5 to 5.7; p=0.002), diuretics (OR 4.3; 95% CI 1.9 to 9.8; p<0.001), and corticosteroid treatment (OR 1.9; 95% CI 1.1 to 3.6; p=0.03) were associated with AKI. In the multivariable analysis, AKI was associated only with other IRAE (OR 2.82; 95% CI 1.45 to 5.48; p=0.002) and hypertension (OR 2.96; 95% CI 1.33 to 6.59; p=0.008). AKI was not associated with increased risk of mortality (HR 1.1; 95% CI: 0.8 to 1.6; p=0.67). ICPi nephrotoxicity was attributed via biopsy or nephrologist assessment in 12 patients (six interstitial nephritis, two membranous nephropathy, two minimal change disease, and two thrombotic microangiopathy). Subsequent doses of ICPi were administered to 12 patients with prior AKI, with one (8.3%) having recurrent AKI.Conclusion AKI is a common complication in patients receiving ICPi treatment. The development of other IRAE and previous diagnosis of hypertension were associated with increased AKI risk. AKI was not associated with worse survival. Distinguishing kidney IRAE from other causes of AKI will present a frequent challenge to oncology and nephrology practitioners. Kidney biopsy should be considered to characterize kidney lesions and guide potential therapy.https://jitc.bmj.com/content/8/1/e000467.full
spellingShingle Eitan Amir
Joseph Kim
Christopher Chan
Alejandro Meraz-Muñoz
Pamela Ng
Carmen Avila-Casado
Claire Ragobar
Ron Wald
Abhijat Kitchlu
Acute kidney injury associated with immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy: incidence, risk factors and outcomes
Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer
title Acute kidney injury associated with immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy: incidence, risk factors and outcomes
title_full Acute kidney injury associated with immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy: incidence, risk factors and outcomes
title_fullStr Acute kidney injury associated with immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy: incidence, risk factors and outcomes
title_full_unstemmed Acute kidney injury associated with immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy: incidence, risk factors and outcomes
title_short Acute kidney injury associated with immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy: incidence, risk factors and outcomes
title_sort acute kidney injury associated with immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy incidence risk factors and outcomes
url https://jitc.bmj.com/content/8/1/e000467.full
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