ArticlePloS one2023
Early changes in immunoglobulin G levels during immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment are associated with survival in hepatocellular carcinoma patients.
Article in PloS one, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- The load of hepatitis B virus reduces the immune checkpoint inhibitors efficiency in hepatocellular carcinoma patients.Frontiers in immunology · 2024Pooled it
- Review
- Review
- Elevated plasma IgG is associated with improved treatment response and survival in advanced non‑small cell lung cancer patients treated with anti‑PD‑1 therapy.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Albumin Levels Are Predictive of Cachexia-Induced Time-Dependent Clearance of Therapeutic Antibodies: A Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic Model of Durvalumab.CPT: pharmacometrics & systems pharmacology · 2026Article
- Thyroid hormone, immunoglobin and complements for predicting hepatocellular carcinoma development in patients with hepatitis B virus-related liver cirrhosis.World journal of hepatology · 2025Article
- Exploring the diagnostic potential of immunoglobulin A-microbiota interplay in liver cirrhosis and spontaneous bacterial peritonitis.The Kaohsiung journal of medical sciences · 2024Article
- Predictive Biomarkers of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor-Based Mono- and Combination Therapies for Hepatocellular Carcinoma.Journal of Cancer · 2024Review
- Biomarkers predicting the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors in hepatocellular carcinoma.Frontiers in immunology · 2023Review
- Predictive Value of Peripheral Blood Eosinophil Count on the Efficacy of Treatment with Camrelizumab in Combination with Lenvatinib in Patients with Advanced Hepatitis B-Associated Hepatocellular Carcinoma.Technology in cancer research & treatmentArticle
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Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
BACKGROUND &
aimsImmunotherapy represents the new standard of care in systemic first-line treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Biomarkers that predict treatment response and survival remain an unmet clinical need.
methodsPatients with HCC treated with immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) between 10/2017 and 03/2022 were retrospectively evaluated. Immunoglobulin levels (IgG, IgM, IgA) were measured at baseline and six weeks after initiation of ICI treatment. Impact of relative changes on overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and time to progression (TTP) were evaluated.
resultsSeventy-two patients with HCC receiving ICI (mostly atezolizumab/bevacizumab n = 54,75%) were included (mean age: 68±12 years, cirrhosis: 72%, mean Child-Turcotte-Pugh [CTP] score: 7±2 points). Most patients had a preserved performance status (ECOG-PS 0, n = 45, 63%), 25 (35%) showed macrovascular invasion, and 32 (44%) had extrahepatic spread. Baseline immunoglobulin values (median, IgG: 1395mg/dL, IgM: 337mg/dL, IgA: 89mg/dL) were not different between responders and non-responders, and neither baseline nor follow-up immunoglobulin values correlated with OS, PFS, and TTP. However, the relative change in IgG (Δ-IgG) independently predicted OS in multivariable Cox regression analysis after adjusting for severity of liver disease, baseline AFP and CRP as well as for Δ-IgA and Δ-IgM. Patients could be stratified into high (Δ-IgG≥+14%) vs. low (Δ-IgG<+14%) risk groups (median OS: 6.4 vs. 15.9 months; p = 0.001). Importantly, Δ-IgG was also associated with PFS and TTP on adjusted multivariable Cox regression analyses.
conclusionOur study proposes a higher increase of Δ-IgG upon ICI treatment as a negative prognostic marker in patients with HCC, independent of underlying liver disease severity. These results require independent validation.
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