Changes in serum DAMPs and cytokines/chemokines during near‐infrared photoimmunotherapy for patients with head and neck cancer
Hiromasa Ishihara, Daisuke Nishikawa, Daisuke Muraoka, Katsuhiro Masago, Shintaro Beppu, Hoshino Terada, Hirokazu Matsushita, Nobuhiro Hanai
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Near-infrared photoimmunotherapy (NIR-PIT) for head and neck cancer is a recently developed therapy. However, there is limited data on patients receiving NIR-PIT in real clinical settings. METHODS: Seven NIR-PIT sessions were administered to five patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Serum damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) (HMGB1 and Hsp70 levels), and cytokine and chemokine production, were compared before and after NIR-PIT. RESULTS: The serum concentration of HMGB1 increased after NIR-PIT (p = 0.031, Wilcoxon test) in all patients except one who did not achieve a clinical response. Chemokines MIP-1α (CCL3) and MIP-1β (CCL4) increased significantly 1-3 days after treatment (CCL3, p = 0.0036; CCL4, p = 0.0016, Wilcoxon test). A low pre-treatment neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) was associated with a better response to therapy and survival. CONCLUSIONS: The release of DAMPs, and cytokine/chemokine production, were detected in the patients' peripheral blood. The baseline NLR may predict patient outcomes in response to NIR-PIT.