Human leukocyte antigen expression in paired primary lung tumors and brain metastases in non-small cell lung cancer.

Loss of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class 1 expression is a mechanism of tumor immune escape and may contribute to resistance to immunotherapy. Patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors can have discordant responses between brain metastases and extracranial sites of disease. We sought to evaluate whether HLA class 1 expression was retained in metastatic NSCLC.

Safety of Influenza Vaccine in Patients With Cancer Receiving Pembrolizumab.

Purpose: There is a concern that influenza vaccination could increase the incidence of immune-related adverse events (irAEs) in patients with cancer receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors. The aim of our study was to determine the safety of influenza vaccination in this patient population.

Patients And Methods: We retrospectively identified patients who received at least 1 dose of pembrolizumab during any influenza season from September 2014 to August 2017 and reviewed medical records for irAEs.

Biomarkers of hyperprogression and pseudoprogression with immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy.

Hyperprogression and pseudoprogression are two atypical responses to immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy that affect therapeutic decisions and prognosis. Identification of predictive biomarkers for atypical responses either before or during treatment remains a huge unmet need in cancer immunotherapy. Many studies have looked at potential biomarkers, including clinical factors and laboratory findings (e.

Florid dermatopathic lymphadenopathy-A morphological mimic of Langerhans cell histiocytosis.

The histopathology of reactive florid dermatopathic lymphadenopathy shows overlap with Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) involving the lymph node, which may lead to misdiagnosis. These entities can be distinguished by recognition of the sinus-based distribution of Langerhans cells in LCH, in contrast to the paracortical distribution of Langerhans cells, pigment-laden histiocytes, and small lymphocytes in dermatopathic lymphadenopathy.

Lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio is associated with survival in pembrolizumab-treated metastatic melanoma patients.

The peripheral blood lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) has been associated with prognosis in many malignancies including metastatic melanoma. However, it has not been studied in patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors. In this study, we analyzed the baseline LMR with progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in metastatic melanoma patients treated with pembrolizumab.

Effects of commonly used chronic medications on the outcomes of ipilimumab therapy in patients with metastatic melanoma.

Ipilimumab can induce long-term survival in 20% of patients with metastatic melanoma. Concurrent chronic medications may impact the patient's immune system, possess antimelanoma properties, and potentially affect clinical outcomes. This retrospective study sought to describe the efficacy and toxicity effects of 12 classes of chronic medications in metastatic melanoma patients treated with ipilimumab.

Radical reversal of vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) receptors during early lymphopoiesis.

Successful thymocyte maturation is essential for normal, peripheral T cell function. Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) is a neuropeptide which is highly expressed in the thymus that has been shown to modulate thymocyte development. VIP predominantly binds two G protein coupled receptors, termed vasoactive intestinal peptide receptor 1 (VPAC1) and VPAC2, but their expression profiles in CD4(-)/CD8(-) (double negative, DN) thymocyte subsets, termed DN1-4, have yet to be identified.