Frontiers in Oncology (May 2023)
Checkpoint inhibitor-induced gastritis followed by delayed severe hepatitis in a patient with lung metastases of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: a case report
Abstract
Pembrolizumab, an anti-programmed death-1 (PD-1) receptor monoclonal antibody, is an effective first-line therapy for metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Immune-related adverse events (irAEs) are well-described complications of PD-1 inhibitors, and multiorgan irAEs are known to occur occasionally. We report a patient with pulmonary metastases of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), who developed gastritis followed by delayed severe hepatitis and recovered with triple immunosuppressant therapy. A 58-year-old Japanese male with pulmonary metastases of oropharyngeal SCC who was treated with pembrolizumab, subsequently developed new-onset appetite loss and upper abdominal pain. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed gastritis and immunohistochemistry revealed pembrolizumab-induced gastritis. The patient developed delayed severe hepatitis at 15 months after initiating pembrolizumab treatment, presenting “Grade 4 aspartate aminotransferase increase” and “Grade 4 alanine aminotransferase increase.” Impaired liver function persisted despite pulse corticosteroid therapy with intravenous methylprednisolone 1,000 mg/day, followed by oral prednisolone 2 mg/kg/day and oral mycophenolate mofetil 2,000 mg/day. Tacrolimus, which reached target serum trough concentrations of 8–10 ng/mL, gradually improved irAE grades from Grade 4 to Grade 1. The patient responded well to triple immunosuppressant therapy comprising prednisolone, mycophenolate mofetil, and tacrolimus. Therefore, this immunotherapeutic approach could be effective for multiorgan irAEs in patients with cancer.
Keywords
