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Case Reports
. 2021 Dec 18:14:5447-5453.
doi: 10.2147/OTT.S333604. eCollection 2021.

Complete Response to PD-1 Inhibitor in Primary Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients Post-Progression on Bi-Specific Antibody Conjugated CIK Cell Treatment: A Report of Two Cases

Tong Wu #  1 , Linzhi Zhang #  1 , Zhen Zeng  1 , Tao Yan  1 , Jiamin Cheng  1 , Xiaojie Miao  1 , Yinying Lu  1
Affiliations
Case Reports

Complete Response to PD-1 Inhibitor in Primary Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients Post-Progression on Bi-Specific Antibody Conjugated CIK Cell Treatment: A Report of Two Cases

Tong Wu et al. Onco Targets Ther. .

Abstract

Background: Programmed death receptor-1 (PD-1) immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have produced encouraging results in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. Cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cells treatment can specifically identify tumor-associated antigens and has encouraging preliminary efficacy for HCC. This study reported two cases of HCC patients achieved complete response (CR) by anti-PD-1 antibody therapy post-progression on bi-specific antibody conjugated CIK immunotherapy.

Case presentation: Case one, a 75-year-old male, was diagnosed with the intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) in October 2017. After interventional, CIK, ablation and other comprehensive therapy, ICC was gradually cured. When new occurrence of HCC, he was treated with anti-PD-1 antibody therapy and achieved CR. Case two, a 65-year-old female, was diagnosed with HCC in July 2016. After progression on several ablation treatments, she received 8 cycles of CIK treatment and achieved stable disease (SD). After disease progressed on CIK treatment, she received 4 cycles of anti-PD-1 antibody therapy, finally achieved CR.

Conclusion: Anti-PD-1 antibody therapy after prior progression on bi-specific antibody conjugated CIK immunotherapy may be efficacy and safety for HCC patients.

Keywords: complete response; cytokine-induced killer; hepatocellular carcinoma; liver; programmed cell death-1.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Three times of liver biopsy and the main immunohistochemical indexes. (A) On November 01, 2017, the patient presented with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma with low differentiation; the immunohistochemical results showed muc-1 (+), GPC-3 (-), Hepa (-), CK7 (+), CK19 (+), AFP (-), Ki67 (70%+). (B) Postoperative pathology showed the combined HCC and ICC (cHCC-ICC), moderately differentiated; the immunohistochemical results showed muc-1 (scattered+), GPC-3 (oven +), CK7 (+), CK19 (+), AFP (-), Ki67 (30%+). (C) Postoperative pathology showed HCC, moderately differentiated; the immunohistochemical results showed GPC-3 (part weak+), muc-1 (-), CK7 (part +), CK19 (-), CD34 + (blood vessels+), CD10 (+), Ki67 (< 5% +), AFP (-).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Changes of (A) right lobe lesions and (C) tumor markers during bi-specific antibody conjugated CIK treatment from February to December 2019. (B) The efficacy was assessed as CR after the patient injected with PD-1 and (D) Biomarker curve from April to October 2020.
Figure 3
Figure 3
(A) The pathological results showed that moderately differentiated of HCC. (B) Changes of AFP and (C) imaging before and after bi-specific antibody conjugated CIK treatment from October 2018 to March 2020. Red arrows pointed to target lesions and red circles marked non-target lesions.
Figure 4
Figure 4
(A) Changes of imaging and (B) AFP before and after PD-1 treatment from August to December 2020.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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