Reactivation of tuberculosis in cancer patients following administration of immune checkpoint inhibitors: current evidence and clinical practice recommendations.

ABSTRACT: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICBs) have revolutionized cancer treatment producing remarkable and durable responses for a range of malignancies. However, the additional modulation of immune response by ICBs may rarely cause immune-related infectious complications, including re-activation of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBC) with detrimental effects on those patients' outcome. Here, we present two "real-world" melanoma cases that were treated in our department with blockade of PD-1/PD-L1 and developed active Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) during immunotherapy. In view of these cases, we review the literature for ICB-associated MTB reactivation and discuss our considerations about the possible interactions of immunotherapy and the underlying co-existent mycobacterial infection. Based on

SUBMITTER: Anastasopoulou A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6727332 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature