Department of Pathology, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, AZ, US.
Department of Medicine, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, AZ, US.
Am J Clin Pathol. 2024 Jul 5;162(1):17-27. doi: 10.1093/ajcp/aqae002.
OBJECTIVES: Immune checkpoint inhibitors, a revolutionary class of cancer immunotherapy drugs, have transformed cancer treatment by bolstering antitumor immunity for various advanced-stage solid cancers. The US Food and Drug Administration has approved 7 immune checkpoint inhibitors that target 3 major immune checkpoint proteins: cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4, programmed cell death 1 protein, and programmed cell death 1 ligand 1. In addition to their remarkable efficacy, however, these inhibitors have been observed causing immune-related adverse events, particularly immune checkpoint inhibitor-related colitis, which often results in severe or life-threatening clinical issues. METHODS: The diagnosis of immune checkpoint inhibitor-related colitis relies on incorporation of clinical evaluation as well as endoscopic and histopathologic examination, with exclusion of other potential etiologies. RESULTS: The common histopathologic manifestations of immune checkpoint inhibitor-related colitis are acute active colitis, chronic active colitis, microscopic colitis (collagenous or lymphocytic), and ischemic colitis, with patterns overlapping. Notably, enterocyte apoptosis is a unique feature of immune checkpoint inhibitor toxicity. The proposed mechanisms for the pathogenesis of immune checkpoint inhibitor-related colitis are primarily associated with autoimmune-type dysregulation and gut microbiome alteration. This review summarizes the clinical and pathologic characteristics of immune checkpoint inhibitor-related colitis and elucidates its underlying pathogenic mechanisms. CONCLUSIONS: Future successful management of this form of colitis relies on our comprehension of the intricate interplay between tumoral and systemic immune responses to immune checkpoint inhibitors and innovative approaches to modify these responses, along with specific immune cell populations, to preclude immune-related adverse events while achieving antitumor therapeutic outcomes.
目的:免疫检查点抑制剂是一类革命性的癌症免疫治疗药物,通过增强多种晚期实体瘤的抗肿瘤免疫,改变了癌症治疗方法。美国食品和药物管理局已经批准了 7 种针对 3 种主要免疫检查点蛋白的免疫检查点抑制剂:细胞毒性 T 淋巴细胞相关蛋白 4、程序性细胞死亡蛋白 1 及程序性细胞死亡蛋白 1 配体 1。然而,除了显著的疗效外,这些抑制剂还会引起免疫相关的不良反应,特别是免疫检查点抑制剂相关性结肠炎,这通常会导致严重或危及生命的临床问题。
方法:免疫检查点抑制剂相关性结肠炎的诊断依赖于临床评估以及内镜和组织病理学检查,并排除其他潜在病因。
结果:免疫检查点抑制剂相关性结肠炎的常见组织病理学表现为急性活动性结肠炎、慢性活动性结肠炎、显微镜下结肠炎(胶原性或淋巴细胞性)和缺血性结肠炎,这些表现存在重叠。值得注意的是,肠细胞凋亡是免疫检查点抑制剂毒性的一个独特特征。免疫检查点抑制剂相关性结肠炎发病机制的提出机制主要与自身免疫失调和肠道微生物组改变有关。本综述总结了免疫检查点抑制剂相关性结肠炎的临床和病理特征,并阐明了其潜在的发病机制。
结论:未来对这种形式的结肠炎的成功管理依赖于我们对肿瘤和系统性免疫反应与免疫检查点抑制剂之间复杂相互作用的理解,以及对这些反应进行修饰的创新方法,同时针对特定的免疫细胞群,以预防免疫相关不良反应,同时实现抗肿瘤治疗效果。