Changes in Serum Interleukin-8 Levels Predict Response to Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors Immunotherapy in Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients

Jiao Zhang ^1,2, Yi Yin ^3,4, Jiliang Tang ⁵

⁰Department of Gastroenterology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, People's Republic of China.

Journal of Inflammation Research +

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May 30, 2024

View abstract on PubMed

Summary

Early increases in serum interleukin-8 (IL-8) predict poor response to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in liver cancer. An 8.1% rise in IL-8 indicates therapy futility and worse survival outcomes for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients.

Area Of Science

Oncology
Immunology
Biomarker Discovery

Background

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) requires effective biomarkers to predict immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy response.
Current treatment strategies necessitate reliable indicators for personalized therapeutic decisions.

Purpose Of The Study

To evaluate early changes in serum interleukin-8 (IL-8) as a predictive biomarker for ICI therapy efficacy in unresectable HCC.
To determine the association between IL-8 dynamics and treatment outcomes, including overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS).

Main Methods

Serum IL-8 levels were measured using ELISA in 80 unresectable HCC patients at baseline and 2-4 weeks post-ICI initiation.
Statistical analyses were performed to correlate IL-8 changes with treatment response and survival data.

Main Results

A significant increase in serum IL-8 levels was observed in patients with progressive disease (PD) before the second ICI dose (P < 0.001).
Early IL-8 level changes strongly predicted ICI therapy response (P < 0.001).
An increase >8.1% in serum IL-8 over baseline was identified as a threshold indicating ICI futility, predicting significantly shorter OS and PFS (P < 0.001) and serving as an independent prognosticator for worse survival.

Conclusions

Early detection of serum IL-8 level changes (within 2-4 weeks) can predict ICI therapy response in HCC.
An increase in serum IL-8 >8.1% signifies non-response to ICIs and predicts poorer OS and PFS, guiding clinical decision-making.

Keywords:

hepatocellular carcinoma immune checkpoint inhibitor interleukin-8 response serum biomarker