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Updated: Jul 11, 2025

A Murine Model of Fetal Exposure to Maternal Inflammation to Study the Effects of Acute Chorioamnionitis on Newborn Intestinal Development
Published on: June 24, 2020
Severe Immune-Related Enteritis after In Utero Exposure to Pembrolizumab
Manuel A Baarslag1, Joosje H Heimovaara1, Jessica S W Borgers1
1From the Departments of Pediatrics (M.A.B.), Pediatric Infectious Diseases and Immunology (K.J.A., S.S.V.H.), Pathology (S.V.), and Pediatric Gastroenterology and Hepatology (N.G.), Amalia Children's Hospital, and the Department of Laboratory Medicine, Laboratory Medical Immunology (H.J.P.M.K., R.L.S.), and the Radboudumc Laboratory for Diagnostics (R.L.S.), Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Departments of Gynecologic Oncology (J.H.H., F.A.), Medical Oncology (J.S.W.B., J.B.A.G.H.), Pharmacy and Pharmacology (P.L.M.B., H.R., J.H.B., A.D.R.H.), and Pharmacology (D.P.), Antoni van Leeuwenhoek-Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Department of Medical Oncology, Isala Hospital, Zwolle (J.W.B.G.), the Departments of Pediatric Oncology (M.G.) and Pharmacology (A.D.R.H.), Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, and the Departments of Pharmaceutical Sciences (J.H.B.) and Clinical Pharmacy (A.D.R.H.), University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht - all in the Netherlands; and the Department of Oncology, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (J.H.H., F.A.), and the Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Universitair Ziekenhuis Leuven (F.A.) - both in Leuven, Belgium.
Abstract:
Immune checkpoint blockade has become standard treatment for many types of cancer. Such therapy is indicated most often in patients with advanced or metastatic disease but has been increasingly used as adjuvant therapy in those with early-stage disease. Adverse events include immune-related organ inflammation resembling autoimmune diseases. We describe a case of severe immune-related gastroenterocolitis in a 4-month-old infant who presented with intractable diarrhea and failure to thrive after in utero exposure to pembrolizumab. Known causes of the symptoms were ruled out, and the diagnosis of pembrolizumab-induced immune-related gastroenterocolitis was supported by the results of histopathological assays, immunophenotyping, and analysis of the level of antibodies against programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1). The infant's condition was successfully treated with prednisolone and infliximab.
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