Abstract 3943: Baseline LDH serum level as predictive value of activity in patients treated with anti PD-1 and PDL-1 monoclonal antibodies
Authors: Cona Maria Silvia , Torri Valter , Di Nicola Massimo , Garassino Marina , Del Vecchio Michele , Cresta Sara , Signorelli Diego , Damian Silvia , Duca Matteo , Indini Alice , Niger Monica , de Braud Filippo 
Published: July 2016

BACKGROUND: Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) is a key enzyme in the glycolytic metabolism, especially in anaerobic condition. High serum levels at baseline seem to be a negative prognostic marker in many tumor types, as well a negative predictive marker for response to treatment with anti CTL4 antibodies(Ipilimumab)in Malignant Melanoma. Recently, the treatment of several advanced tumors with anti PD-1 or PDL-1 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) showed better outcome in comparison to Ipilimumab. However, biomarkers for a proper selection of responding patients is not yet available. The aim of this study is to correlate LDH serum level at baseline with clinical outcome in patients (pts) with advanced solid tumors treated with anti PDL-1 and anti PD-1 mAbs.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: We evaluated baseline LDH serum level in 145 pts affected by advanced solid tumors, treated at our Institute with anti PDL-1 and anti PD-1 mAbs. The rate of clinical responses and progression free survival (PFS) were related to normal or elevated baseline LDH serum level. We stratified the pts in 4 groups: normal value (group A),up to 1.5 x ULN (group B); &lt; 2 &gt; 1.5 x ULN (Group C); &gt; 2 x ULN (Group D). We defined as disease control (DC) any complete (CR) and partial response (PR) or stable disease (SD) lasting &gt; 3 months. Correlation between LDH serum levels and DC was assessed by Fisher's exact test; PFS was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method.

RESULTS: We evaluated a heterogeneous population of 145 patients: 73 pts with lung cancer (50.3%; 67 NSCLC, 6 SCLC); 32 pts with Melanoma (22%) and 40 pts (27.6%) with other solid tumors (8 urothelial, 7 biliary tract, 6 mesothelioma, 4 head and neck, 4 sarcoma, 3 gastric, 3 colon, 2 RCC, 1 thyroid, 1 ovarian, 1 HCC). 79 pts (54.5%) were treated by anti PD-1 and 66 (45.5%) by anti PDL-1 agents. Overall as “best response”, 79 pts (54.5%) achieved DC (1 CR, 26 PR, 52 SD) and 66 pts (45.5%) had progressive disease (PD). DC was achieved in 41/79 (52%) pts treated by anti PD-1 and 38/66 (58%) pts treated by anti PDL-1: only 2/41 (5%) and 5/38 (13%) of them had high LDH levels at baseline, respectively. Among 107 pts in Group A, 72 (67.3%) achieved DC as compared to 7/38 pts (18.4%) with high levels of LDH (Group B-D) (p: 0.0001). In the latter groups, PD occurred in 17/23 (74%), 5/6 (83%) and 9/9 (100%) patients in the B, C and D group respectively.

CONCLUSIONS: According to this preliminary analysis high baseline LDH serum levels seems to predict a greater likelihood of obtaining worse clinical outcome in terms of response and PFS also in patients treated by anti PD-1 and anti PDL-1 mAbs. In order to confirm this interesting result, we are evaluating a greater number of patients treated with anti PD-1 and anti PDL-1 mAbs at our Institution.

Citation Format: Maria Silvia Cona, Valter Torri, Massimo Di Nicola, Marina Garassino, Michele Del Vecchio, Sara Cresta, Diego Signorelli, Silvia Damian, Matteo Duca, Alice Indini, Monica Niger, Filippo de Braud. Baseline LDH serum level as predictive value of activity in patients treated with anti PD-1 and PDL-1 monoclonal antibodies. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 3943.