Baseline C-reactive protein predicts efficacy of the first-line immune checkpoint inhibitors plus chemotherapy in advanced lung squamous cell carcinoma: a retrospective, multicenter study

Zheng, Xinlong; Zhang, Longfeng; Wu, Lin; Zhao, Jun; Sun, Jianguo; Fang, Yong; Zhou, Jin; Chu, Qian; Shen, Yihong; Yang, Zhenzhou; Chen, Lijin; Huang, Meijuan; Lin, Xiaoyan; Liu, Zhenhua; Shen, Peng; Wang, Zhijie; Wang, Xin; Wang, Huijuan; Han, Zhengbo; Liu, Anwen; Zhang, Hongmei; Ye, Feng; Gao, Wen; Wu, Fang; Song, Zhengbo; Chen, Shengchi; Zhou, Chenzhi; Wang, Qian; Xu, Chunwei; Huang, Dingzhi; Zheng, Xiaobin; Miao, Qian; Jiang, Kan; Xu, Yiquan; Wu, Shiwen; Wang, Haibo; Zhang, Qiuyu

Science Citation Index Expanded

电子科技大学; 福州大学; 广州医学院; 华中科技大学; 南昌大学; 南方医科大学; 南京大学; 四川大学; 浙江大学; 郑州大学; 厦门大学; 中国医科大学; 中国医学科学院; 中国科学院研究生院; 中国医学科学院北京协和医院; 1

摘要

AimsTo investigate the predictive value of baseline C-reactive protein (CRP) levels on the efficacy of chemotherapy plus immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) in patients with advanced lung squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC).Materials and methodsIn this retrospective multicenter study spanning from January 2016 to December 2020, advanced LSCC patients initially treated with chemotherapy or a combination of chemotherapy and ICI were categorized into normal and elevated CRP subgroups. The relationship between CRP levels and treatment outcomes was analyzed using multivariate Cox proportional hazards models and multivariate logistic regression, focusing primarily on the progression-free survival (PFS) endpoint, and secondarily on overall survival (OS) and objective response rate (ORR) endpoints. Survival curves were generated using the Kaplan-Meier method, with the log-rank test used for comparison between groups.ResultsOf the 245 patients evaluated, the 105 who received a combination of chemotherapy and ICI with elevated baseline CRP levels exhibited a significant reduction in PFS (median 6.5 months vs. 11.8 months, HR, 1.78; 95% CI: 1.12-2.81; p = 0.013) compared to those with normal CRP levels. Elevated CRP was identified as an independent risk factor for poor PFS through multivariate-adjusted analysis. However, among the 140 patients receiving chemotherapy alone, baseline CRP levels did not significantly influence PFS. Furthermore, within the combination therapy group, there was a notable decrease in the ORR (51% vs. 71%, p = 0.035), coupled with a significantly shorter OS (median 20.9 months vs. 31.5 months, HR, 2.24; 95% CI: 1.13-4.44; p = 0.033).ConclusionIn patients with advanced LSCC, elevated baseline CRP levels were identified as an independent predictive factor for the efficacy of combination therapy with chemotherapy and ICI, but not in chemotherapy alone. This suggests that CRP may be a valuable biomarker for guiding treatment strategies.

关键词

Lung squamous cell carcinoma Immune checkpoint inhibitors C-reactive protein Predictive biomarker