Characteristics of immune checkpoint inhibitor-induced encephalitis and comparison with HSV-1 and anti-LGI1 encephalitis: A retrospective multicentre cohort study
Journal Title
European Journal of Cancer
Publication Type
Research article
Abstract
AIM: Immune checkpoint inhibitor-induced encephalitis (ICI-iE) is a rare but life-threatening toxicity of immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment. We aim to identify the characteristics of ICI-iE and describe factors that discriminate it from herpes simplex virus (HSV)-1 encephalitis and anti-leucine-rich glioma-inactivated 1 (anti-LGI1) encephalitis, as two alternative entities of encephalitis. METHODS: In this retrospective multicentre cohort study, we collected patients with ICI-iE reported to the Side Effect Registry Immuno-Oncology from January 2015 to September 2021 and compared their clinical features and outcome with 46 consecutive patients with HSV-1 or anti-LGI1 encephalitis who were treated at a German neurological referral centre. RESULTS: Thirty cases of ICI-iE, 25 cases of HSV-1 encephalitis and 21 cases of anti-LGI1 encephalitis were included. Clinical presentation of ICI-iE was highly variable and resembled that of HSV-1 encephalitis, while impairment of consciousness (66% vs. 5%, p = .007), confusion (83% vs. 43%; p = .02), disorientation (83% vs. 29%; p = .007) and aphasia (43% vs. 0%; p = .007) were more common in ICI-iE than in anti-LGI1 encephalitis. Antineuronal antibodies (17/18, 94%) and MRI (18/30, 60%) were mostly negative in ICI-iE, but cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) showed pleocytosis and/or elevated protein levels in almost all patients (28/29, 97%). Three patients (10%) died of ICI-iE. Early immunosuppressive treatment was associated with better outcome (r = 0.43). CONCLUSIONS: ICI-iE is a heterogeneous entity without specific clinical features. CSF analysis has the highest diagnostic value, as it reveals inflammatory changes in most patients and enables the exclusion of infection. Early treatment of ICI-iE is essential to prevent sequelae and death.
Publisher
Elsevier
Keywords
Autoantibodies; Cohort Studies; *Encephalitis/chemically induced; *Glioma; *Herpesvirus 1, Human; Humans; Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors/adverse effects; Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; Leucine; Retrospective Studies; Anti-LGI1 encephalitis; Encephalitis; Herpetic encephalitis; Immune checkpoint inhibitor; Immune-related adverse events; Immunotherapy; Neurotoxicity
Department(s)
Medical Oncology
PubMed ID
36155116
Open Access at Publisher's Site
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejca.2022.08.009
Terms of Use/Rights Notice
Refer to copyright notice on published article.


Creation Date: 2025-02-07 05:05:35
Last Modified: 2025-02-07 05:08:50

© 2025 The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research. Access to this website is subject to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use

An error has occurred. This application may no longer respond until reloaded. Reload 🗙