Prognostic and predictive factors for patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) treated with immunotherapy are highly warranted, and the immune tumor microenvironment (I-TME) is under investigation.
The Meet-URO 18 was a multicentric retrospective study assessing the I-TME in mRCC patients treated with ≥2nd-line nivolumab, dichotomized into responders and non-responders according to progression-free survival (≥12 months and ≤3 months, respectively). The primary objective was to identify differential immunohistochemical (IHC) patterns between the two groups. Lymphocyte infiltration and the expressions of different proteins on tumor cells (CD56, CD15, CD68, and ph-mTOR) were analyzed. The expression of PD-L1 was also assessed.
A total of 116 tumor tissue samples from 84 patients (59% were primary tumors and 41% were metastases) were evaluated. Samples from responders (N = 55) were significantly associated with lower expression of CD4+ T lymphocytes and higher levels of ph-mTOR and CD56+ compared with samples from non-responders (N = 61). Responders also showed a higher CD3+ expression (p = 0.059) and CD8+/CD4+ ratio (p = 0.084). Non-responders were significantly associated with a higher percentage of clear cell histology and grading.
Differential IHC patterns between the tumors in patients who were responders and non-responders to nivolumab were identified. Further investigation with genomic analyses is planned.
Cancers. 2023 Apr 21*** epublish ***
Sara Elena Rebuzzi, Matteo Brunelli, Francesca Galuppini, Valerio Gaetano Vellone, Alessio Signori, Fabio Catalano, Alessandra Damassi, Gabriele Gaggero, Pasquale Rescigno, Marco Maruzzo, Sara Merler, Francesca Vignani, Alessia Cavo, Umberto Basso, Michele Milella, Olimpia Panepinto, Manlio Mencoboni, Marta Sbaraglia, Angelo Paolo Dei Tos, Veronica Murianni, Malvina Cremante, Miguel Angel Llaja Obispo, Michele Maffezzoli, Giuseppe Luigi Banna, Sebastiano Buti, Giuseppe Fornarini
Medical Oncology Unit, Ospedale San Paolo, 17100 Savona, Italy., Pathology Unit, Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, University and Hospital Trust of Verona, 37124 Verona, Italy., Surgical Pathology Unit, Department of Medicine (DIMED), University of Padua, 35128 Padua, Italy., Pathology Unit, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, 16147 Genoa, Italy., Department of Health Sciences (DISSAL), Section of Biostatistics, University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy., Medical Oncology Unit 1, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genoa, Italy., Candiolo Cancer Institute, FPO-IRCCS, 10060 Candiolo, Italy., Oncology Unit 1, Istituto Oncologico Veneto IOV-IRCCS, 35128 Padua, Italy., Section of Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Verona and Verona University Hospital Trust, 37134 Verona, Italy., Division of Medical Oncology, Ordine Mauriziano Hospital, 10128 Turin, Italy., Oncology Unit, Villa Scassi Hospital, 16149 Genoa, Italy., Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, 43126 Parma, Italy., Department of Oncology, Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust, Portsmouth PO6 3LY, UK.