Neurologic disease activity in people with multiple sclerosis treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors

  • Mult Scler. 2023 Mar;29(3):471-474. doi: 10.1177/13524585221117949.
Sarah E Conway  1 ,  Danielle Kei A Pua  1 ,  Kathryn B Holroyd  1 ,  Kristin Galetta  1 ,  Shamik Bhattacharyya  1
Affiliations
  • 1. Brigham Multiple Sclerosis Center, Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
PMID: 35957594 DOI: 10.1177/13524585221117949
Abstract

Background: There is concern that immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICPIs) can provoke relapses in people with Multiple Sclerosis (pwMS).

Objective: Analyze outcomes of pwMS who received ICPI treatment for malignancy.

Methods: We electronically identified pwMS who received ICPI treatment at Mass General Brigham hospital system. We retrospectively obtained information about patients' MS, Cancer, treatment, and outcomes.

Results: Sixteen patients were identified with an average (standard deviation (SD)) age of 67.4 (11.9) years. Eleven (68.8%) had no relapses since MS diagnosis. None had MS relapses after ICPI treatment or new MS lesions.

Conclusion: ICPI use was not associated with increased clinical disease activity in this cohort of older patients with inactive MS.

Keywords
Multiple sclerosis; immunology.