Efficacy of RetroNectin-activated cytokine-induced killer cell therapy in the treatment of advanced hepatocelluar carcinoma

Abstract

Abstract. The present study aimed to investigate the efficacy of RetroNectin-activated cytokine-induced killer cell (R-CIK) therapy in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma patients as compared with conventional chemotherapy, a comparison that has not yet been thoroughly studied. From January 2010 to October 2013, 74 patients with an initial diagnosis of advanced hepatocelluar carcinoma were enrolled in the study. Patients were assigned to one of two treatment arms: patients in arm 1 (n=37) received R-CIK treatment as the first line therapy, whereas those in arm 2 (n=37) received chemotherapy as the first line treatment. The primary end point measured in this study was median overall survival (mOS). Median progression-free survival time (mPFS) and 1-and 2-year survival rates were recorded as secondary end points. Kaplan-Meier analysis was performed on all mOS and mPFS data, and treatment hazard ratios were established using the Cox proportional hazards model. The 1-year survival rate in treatment arm 1 was 42.47% vs. 24.89% in arm 2 (95% CI, 24.91-59.01% vs. 12.10-40.02%, P=0.066); the 2-year survival rates were 21.24 and 5.53% (95% CI, 4.60-45.86 vs. 0.46-21.06%, P= 0.106) in arms 1 and 2, respectively; the mPFS in arm 1 was 4.37 vs. 3.90 (x 2 = 0.182, P=0.670) in arm 2; and the mOS in arm 1 was 14.03 months vs. 9.46 months(x 2 =4.406, P=0.036) in arm 2. Calculations of univariate analyses of arm 1, R-CIK cycles ≥6, KPS >70, AFP ≤400 ng/ml, and findings of no vascular invasion and no extra-hepatic metastasis were potential predictive factors (P<0.05). Calculations from multivariate analyses similarly identified these factors as potentially having predictive value (P<0.05). The main adverse effects of R-CIK therapy included fever and headache pain. R-CIK treatment may prolong mOS in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma patients compared with conventional chemotherapy. Patients who underwent ≥6 cycles of R-CIK, had KPS scores >70, AFP ≤400 ng/ml, displayed no evidence of vascular invasion, and no extra-hepatic metastasis appeared to have longer survival times compared with other cohorts in the present study.

Efficacy of Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes Combined with IFN-α in Chinese Resected Stage III Malignant Melanoma

“…From 1991 to present, CIK cell therapy has been applied as an immunotherapy for cancer patients in many clinical trials, including in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and renal cell carcinoma (RCC) [ 19 – 26 ]. And in our Immunotherapy Center of The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University, we also did some work to demonstrate that R-CIK (or CIK) combined with chemotherapy or not can prolong the mOS of HCC, RCC, pancreatic cancer, and so on [ 18 , 27 – 31 ]. Therefore, R-CIK therapy was often employed in both Arm 1 and Arm 2 patients in order to increase the treatment efficacy.…”

Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus and Pulmonary Tuberculosis Coinfection: Implications for Infection Control

“…In this report, the first patient was coinfected with MERS-CoV and pulmonary TB, and might have been infected with both as the M. tuberculosis culture was negative. Both MERS-CoV and TB may cause immune suppression and augment the infection of each other, as was described with SARS and TB [13] . It is important to carefully evaluate suspected MERS-CoV for the presence of other infectious diseases, especially TB, if cohorting is done for suspected MERS-CoV to avoid the nosocomial transmission of TB, as was described with SARS [15] .…”

“…One patient contracted SARS when she was cohorted with SARS patients, although she initially had TB [12] . In another report, a healthcare worker had healthcare-associated SARS infection and was diagnosed with pulmonary TB, while 2 other patients were known to have pulmonary TB and had a superinfection with SARS after contact with other hospitalized SARS patients [13] . Another 2 patients had pulmonary TB after recovery from SARS [14] .…”

Successful treatment with pazopanib plus PD-1 inhibitor and RAK cells for advanced primary hepatic angiosarcoma: a case report

“…Moreover, we were concerned that the combination of pazopanib and anti-PD1 monoclonal antibody was insufficient to inhibit the rapid progression of the patient’s primary hepatic angiosarcoma. RAK cells have been reported to be effective in liver, colorectal, lung, pancreatic and other advanced cancers [ 15 , 16 ]. We hypothesis pazopanib plus PD-1 inhibitor and RAK cells together could bring more benefit in the treatment of our patient.…”