Pharmacogenomics of cisplatin-induced neurotoxicities: Hearing loss, tinnitus and peripheral sensory neuropathy.

12004 Background: Cisplatin is an essential component of first-line chemotherapy for many cancers, but causes neurotoxicity, including hearing loss (CisHL), tinnitus (CisTinn), and peripheral sensory neuropathy (CisPNeuro). However, few opportunities exist to identify risk factors and comorbidities for cisplatin-induced neurotoxicities among large numbers of homogenously treated patients without the confounding effect of cranial radiotherapy. Methods: Within a well-characterized clinical cohort of 1,680 cisplatin-treated testicular cancer survivors, linear and logistic regression analysis were utilized to analyze associations of CisHL (n = 1,258), CisTinn (n = 1,217), and CisPNeuro (n = 1,653) with non-genetic risk factors. Genome-wide association studies and gene-based analysis were performed on each phenotype. Results: Cisplatin-induced neurotoxicities (CisHL CisTinn, CisPNeuro), adjusting for age and cisplatin dose, were interdependent. Survivors with these neurotoxicities experienced more hypertension (CisTinn: OR = 2.62, p < 0.0001; CisHL: β = 0.25, p = 8.5 x10-4; CisPNeuro: OR = 1.86, p < 0.0001) and were more likely to report their health as poor (CisTinn: OR = 0.54, p < 0.0001; CisHL: β = -0.11, p < 0.0001; CisPNeuro: OR = 0.61, p < 0.0001). Persistent vertigo was significantly associated with both CisTinn (OR = 7.18, p < 0.0001) and CisPNeuro (OR = 4.29, p < 0.0001). In addition, CisTinn was significantly associated with hypercholesterolemia (OR = 1.78, p = 0.01). Importantly, gene-based association analyses identified significant associations between CisTinn and WNT8A (n = 1,037, p = 2.52x10-6) , encoding a signaling protein important in germ cell tumors; and marginal significance between CisHL and TXNRD1 (n = 1,071, p = 4.21x10-6) , thioredoxin reductase-1, which plays a key role in redox regulation. In silico analysis showed high expression levels of TXNRD1 were significantly correlated with cellular resistance to cisplatin in central nervous system tumor cells (Spearman Rho = 0.35, p = 0.04; R2= 0.14, p = 0.03), indicating TXNRD1 is protective for cisplatin-induced cytotoxicity. Previously, rs62283056 in WFS1 found to be significantly associated with CisHL (n = 511; subset of current population), was marginally significant in an independent replication cohort (p = 0.06; n = 606; subset of current population). Conclusions: Cisplatin-induced neurotoxicities are significantly associated with multiple clinical characteristics, including hypertension and self-reported poor health. WNT8A and TXNRD1 are notable risk factors for CisTinn and CisHL, respectively . Future studies should further investigate these genes and their potential impact on chemotherapy strategies. This study, based on the largest number of testicular cancer survivors investigated to date, highlights the clinical importance of these iatrogenic toxicities and their associated risk factors.

Transient Vision Loss – A Rare Oxaliplatin-Induced Ophthalmologic Side Effect: A Report of Two Cases

Oxaliplatin, a platinum-based chemotherapeutic agent, is responsible for induced peripheral sensory neuropathy. Only a few cases of ophthalmologic toxicity have been reported. We report here two cases of sudden transient vision loss after oxaliplatin administration, in one case intraperitoneally. These symptoms likely reflect optic neuritis that could be included in the spectrum of oxaliplatin-induced neuropathy.

Occurrence of tinnitus and peripheral sensory neuropathy in women during chemotherapy treatment of breast cancer

Objective: To analyze the occurrence of tinnitus and peripheral sensory neuropathy in women during breast cancer chemotherapy. Methods: This is a retrospective analytical study with a quantitative approach, performed in medical records of an oncology outpatient service between February 2014 and February 2015, using the toxicities scores of Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE). Results: Considering 181 patients with breast cancer who met the inclusion criteria, 49.2% reported tinnitus at some point of the treatment, while 65.1% peripheral sensory neuropathy. In both conditions, the predominant severity score was grade 1, with frequencies of 23.8% and 33.1%, respectively. A significant, positive and weak correlation was observed between the severity of tinnitus and peripheral sensory neuropathy (ρ = 0.325 and p = 0.001), as well as very weak between the number of complete cycles of chemotherapy and tinnitus (ρ = 0.195 and p = 0.009) and neuropathy peripheral sensory (ρ = 0.237 and p = 0.002). Conclusions: Tinnitus and peripheral sensory neuropathy were frequent toxicities during chemotherapy treatment of breast cancer, and both manifested with low severity/functional impact in most participants.

IgM paraprotein and anti-MAG sensory polyneuropathy associated with Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinaemia and medullary carcinoma of the thyroid

A previously fit and well 76-year-old man, presented with distal lower limb sensory symptoms suggestive of peripheral sensory neuropathy, associated with positive anti-MAG antibodies (myelin associated glycoprotein) and IgM paraprotein. Bone marrow biopsy showed lymphoplasmocytoid lymphoma (Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinaemia, WM), consequently positive for MYD88 mutation. He subsequently developed medullary carcinoma of the thyroid, most likely secondary to WM. He underwent a successful total thyroidectomy and four treatment doses of rituximab, which proved beneficial. He is currently stable and under multidisciplinary monitoring. His sensory symptoms have improved following rituximab treatment and his WM is under control.

Drosophila model of anti-retroviral therapy induced peripheral neuropathy and nociceptive hypersensitivity

ABSTRACTThe success of antiretroviral therapy (ART) has improved the survival of HIV-infected patients significantly. However, significant numbers of patients on ART whose HIV disease is well controlled show peripheral sensory neuropathy (PSN), suggesting that ART may cause PSN. Although the nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs), one of the vital components of ART, are thought to contribute to PSN, the mechanisms underlying the PSN induced by NRTIs are unclear. In this study, we developed a Drosophila model of NRTI-induced PSN that recapitulates the salient features observed in patients undergoing ART: PSN and nociceptive hypersensitivity. Furthermore, our data demonstrate that pathways known to suppress PSN induced by chemotherapeutic drugs are ineffective in suppressing the PSN or nociception induced by NRTIs. Instead, we found that increased dynamics of a peripheral sensory neuron may possibly underlie NRTI-induced PSN and nociception. Our model provides a solid platform in which to investigate further mechanisms of ART-induced PSN and nociceptive hypersensitivity.This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.

Immune-Related Neurological Toxicities of PD-1/PD-L1 Inhibitors in Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

BackgroundSystematic assessment of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor-related neurological toxicities is important for guiding anti-PD-1 and anti-PD-L1 immunotherapy. Therefore, we conducted this meta-analysis to reveal the relationship between PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors and neurological toxicities among cancer patients.MethodsClinical trials investigating PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors in cancer patients were identified by a systematic search of PubMed. The random-effect model was used to synthesize individual studies. Neurological toxicities, including all-grades and grades 3–5, were taken into account for the final comprehensive meta-analysis. The Newcastle Ottawa Scale (NOS) was used to assess the quality of included trials.ResultsThirty-one clinical trials containing data of neurological toxicities were included. Compared with chemotherapy, the risk of all-grade neurological toxicities caused by PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors was much lower in terms of peripheral neuropathy [OR = 0.07, 95%CI:(0.04, 0.13)], peripheral sensory neuropathy [OR = 0.07, 95%CI(0.04, 0.12)], dysgeusia [OR = 0.26, 95%CI:(0.19, 0.35)], paraesthesia [OR = 0.23, 95%CI:(0.14, 0.36)], and polyneuropathy [OR = 0.12, 95%CI:(0.01, 0.94)]. However, for grades 3–5, the statistically significant results were only seen in peripheral neuropathy [OR = 0.15, 95%CI:(0.07, 0.34)] and peripheral sensory neuropathy [OR = 0.13, 95%CI:(0.04, 0.40)]. No statistically significant difference regarding the risk of headache, dizziness, and Guillain–Barré syndrome was found between PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors and chemotherapy. For PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors plus chemotherapy, the risk trends of the above-mentioned neurological toxicities, especially grades 3–5 peripheral neuropathy [OR = 1.76, 95%CI:(1.10, 2.82)] was increased compared to chemotherapy alone.ConclusionOur comprehensive analysis showed that PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors alone exhibited lower neurological toxicities than chemotherapy. However, the risk of headache, dizziness, and Guillain–Barré syndrome was similar between PD-1/PD-L1 and chemotherapy. For PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors plus chemotherapy, the incidence trend of neurological toxicities would be increased, especially for peripheral neuropathy of grades 3–5.

Ogilvie Syndrome in a Refractory Germ Cell Tumor Treated with Vinblastine, Ifosfamide and Cisplatin Regimen

Ogilvie syndrome or intestinal pseudo-obstruction is a clinical syndrome characterized by autonomic imbalance affecting peristalsis of colon leading to obstructive signs and symptoms. The etiologies commonly implicated are drugs affecting the cholinergic system, narcotics, electrolyte imbalance, severe sepsis, cancer, major surgery, and renal and cardiac failure. Ogilvie syndrome secondary to chemotherapy is a very rare phenomenon with very few reports in the literature. Cisplatin-induced neuropathy has been reported to occur when the cumulative dose exceeds 360 mg/m². It manifests predominantly as peripheral sensory neuropathy with autonomic neuropathy occurring very rarely in a subset of patients. All the reported cases to date who presented with autonomic dysfunction secondary to cisplatin also had peripheral sensory neuropathy. Herein, we report a case of metastatic nonseminomatous germ cell tumor treated with cisplatin based regimen, who presented with severe intestinal pseudo-obstruction when the cumulative dose exceeded 400 mg/m² without any other manifestation of neuropathy. To our knowledge this is the first such case reported in the literature.