Treatment of steroid-refractory immune checkpoint inhibitor-induced intestinal pseudo-obstruction with infliximab

Immune checkpoint inhibition therapy using targeted monoclonal antibodies is a relatively new therapeutic approach for patients with several cancer types including non-small cell lung cancer1. Targeted monoclonal antibodies based drugs can activate anti-tumor immunity by blocking immune checkpoint receptors (CTLA-4, PD-1 receptor and its ligand PD-L1), in order to restore T-cell effector function2,3. However, the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors can lead to a unique side effect profile termed as immune-related adverse events (irAEs). Loss of T-cell inhibition results in an enhanced immune response driven by T-cell activation and is capable of inducing an autoimmune-related inflammation in normal tissue as a consequence of impaired self tolerance4. These irAEs can potentially involve every organ system including gastrointestinal, dermatologic, hepatic, and endocrine toxicities. For example, Fernandez-Gordon Sanchez et al reported a patient with immune-mediated colitis and nonimmune-mediated cholestasic injury induced by pembrolizumab that was successfully treated with Ustekinumab5. We report a steroid-refractory case of lung adenocarcinoma patient with an unusual irAE (intestinal pseudo-obstruction) during the treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors that could be successfully managed by the administration of infliximab.