Serum IgA as a Prognostic Beacon: Anticipating Systemic Therapy Efficacy in Metastatic Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma

Ann Surg Oncol. 2024 May 20. doi: 10.1245/s10434-024-15448-w. Online ahead of print.

Abstract

Objective: Immunotherapy-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (IO-TKI) therapy has revolutionized the treatment landscape for metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma (mccRCC); however, the absence of effective biomarkers poses a challenge in predicting the efficacy of these regimens. This study aims to explore the predictive and prognostic value of serum immunoglobulin A (IgA) in mccRCC patients undergoing IO-TKI therapy.

Methods: Ninety-six mccRCC patients treated with IO-TKI therapy from 2019 to 2023 were enrolled and serum IgA levels were assessed at the pretreatment baseline and after 3 months of treatment.

Results: Notably, baseline levels of IgA showed no correlation with the objective response rate. However, patients achieving complete or partial responses exhibited a remarkable decrease in IgA levels, while those with stable or progressive disease displayed an increase in IgA levels after 3 months of treatment. Furthermore, the dynamic alteration in IgA levels after 3 months of treatment demonstrated predictive value for both progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). The time-dependent receiver operating characteristic curves exhibited outstanding performance in predicting PFS (AUC 0.793) and OS (AUC 0.738).

Conclusion: Taken together, this study demonstrates that dynamic alteration of serum IgA after 3 months of treatment was significantly correlated with prognosis and therapeutic efficacy in mccRCC patients.

Keywords: IgA; Immunotherapy-tyrosine kinase inhibitor; mccRCC.

Publication types

  • Letter