IMPORTANCEAgents targeting programmed cell death 1 (PD-1)/PD ligand 1 (PD-L1) improve long-term survival across many advanced cancers and are now used as adjuvant therapy for resected stage III and IV melanomas. The incidence and spectrum of chronic immune-related adverse events (irAEs) have not been well defined.OBJECTIVE To determine the incidence, time course, spectrum, and associations of chronic irAEs arising from adjuvant anti-PD-1 therapy. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTSThis retrospective multicenter cohort study was conducted between 2015 and 2020 across 8 academic medical centers in the United States and Australia. Patients with stage III to IV melanomas treated with anti-PD-1 in the adjuvant setting were included.MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Incidence, types, and time course of chronic irAEs (defined as irAEs persisting at least 12 weeks after therapy cessation). RESULTS Among 387 patients, the median (range) age was 63 (17-88) years, and 235 (60.7%) were male. Of these patients, 267 (69.0%) had any acute irAE, defined as those arising during treatment with anti-PD-1, including 52 (19.5%) with grades 3 through 5 events; 1 patient each had fatal myocarditis and neurotoxicity. Chronic irAEs, defined as those that persisted beyond 12 weeks of anti-PD-1 discontinuation, developed in 167 (43.2%) patients, of which most (n = 161; 96.4%) were mild (grade 1 or 2) and most persisted until last available follow-up (n = 143; 85.6%). Endocrinopathies (73 of 88; 83.0%), arthritis (22 of 45; 48.9%), xerostomia (9 of 17; 52.9%), neurotoxicities (11 of 15; 73.3%), and ocular events (5 of 8; 62.5%) were particularly likely to become chronic. In contrast, irAEs affecting visceral organs (liver, colon, lungs, kidneys) had much lower rates of becoming chronic irAEs; for example, colitis became chronic in 6 of 44 (13.6%) cases, of which 4 of 6 (66.7%) resolved with prolonged follow-up. Age, gender, time of onset, and need for steroids were not associated with the likelihood of chronicity of irAEs. CONCLUSION AND RELEVANCEIn this multicenter cohort study, chronic irAEs associated with anti-PD-1 therapy appear to be more common than previously recognized and frequently persisted even with prolonged follow-up, although most were low grade. The risks of chronic irAEs should be integrated into treatment decision-making.

Chronic immune activation persists despite antiretroviral therapy (ART) in HIV+ individuals and underpins an increased risk of age-related co-morbidities. We assessed the Frailty Index in older HIV+ Australian men on ART. Immunometabolic markers on monocytes and T cells were analyzed using flow cytometry, plasma innate immune activation markers by ELISA, and lipidomic profiling by mass spectrometry. The study population consisted of 80 HIV + men with a median age of 59 (IQR, 56–65), and most had an undetectable viral load (92%). 24% were frail, and 76% were non-frail. Frailty was associated with elevated Glucose transporter-1 (Glut1) expression on the total monocytes (p = 0.04), increased plasma levels of innate immune activation marker sCD163 (OR, 4.8; CI 1.4–15.9, p = 0.01), phosphatidylethanolamine PE(36:3) (OR, 5.1; CI 1.7–15.5, p = 0.004) and triacylglycerol TG(16:1_18:1_18:1) (OR, 3.4; CI 1.3–9.2, p = 0.02), but decreased expression of GM3 ganglioside, GM3(d18:1/18:0) (OR, 0.1; CI 0.0–0.6, p = 0.01) and monohexosylceramide HexCerd(d18:1/22:0) (OR, 0.1; CI 0.0–0.5, p = 0.004). There is a strong inverse correlation between quality of life and the concentration of PE(36:3) (ρ = − 0.33, p = 0.004) and PE(36:4) (ρ = − 0.37, p = 0.001). These data suggest that frailty is associated with increased innate immune activation and abnormal lipidomic profile. These markers should be investigated in larger, longitudinal studies to determine their potential as biomarkers for frailty.

Identifying frailty is an increasingly important contemporary consideration of HIV care related to ageing and quality of life.