Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40155873›Full record

ArticleBMC cancer2025

Association of HLA-A*02:01 type with efficacy and toxicity of immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy in melanoma patients: a retrospective cohort study.

Isabel Manger, Christina Schmitt, Carola Berking, Lars E French, Julio Vera-Gonzalez, Lucie Heinzerling

Abstract readMulticenter Study
In one paragraph

Article in BMC cancer, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Review
  3. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Isabel MangerDepartment of Dermatology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Uniklinikum Erlangen, CCC Erlangen-EMN, CCC WERA, Erlangen, Germany.
Christina SchmittDepartment of Dermatology and Allergy, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.
Carola BerkingDepartment of Dermatology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Uniklinikum Erlangen, CCC Erlangen-EMN, CCC WERA, Erlangen, Germany.
Lars E FrenchDepartment of Dermatology and Allergy, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.
Julio Vera-GonzalezDepartment of Dermatology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Uniklinikum Erlangen, CCC Erlangen-EMN, CCC WERA, Erlangen, Germany.
Lucie HeinzerlingDepartment of Dermatology and Allergy, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany. lucie.heinzerling@med.uni-muenchen.de.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundImmune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) are highly effective but may induce severe or even fatal and unpredictable immune-related adverse events (irAEs). It is unclear whether human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genes contribute to the susceptibility of developing irAEs during ICI therapy.

methodsThis multicentre retrospective study investigated the association of irAE and outcome with HLA-A*02:01 status in a cohort of 97 patients with metastatic melanoma undergoing ICI therapy. Organ-specific irAEs and therapy outcome as assessed by response rate, progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were analysed depending on HLA type HLA-A*02:01. For the outcome only patients with cutaneous melanoma were analysed. Chi square test, exact fisher test, Kruskal Wallis test and log rank test were employed for statistical analysis (p ≤ 0.05).

resultsThe cohort included 38 HLA-A*02:01 positive (39.2%) and 59 HLA-A*02:01 negative (60.8%) patients. Data showed no evidence of an association of HLA-A*02:01 with organ-specific irAEs except for a numerical difference in immune-related colitis. Furthermore, response rates of the subgroup of patients with metastatic cutaneous melanoma did not differ between the two cohorts. The median PFS was 5 months and 8 months in HLA-A*02:01 positive and negative patients with cutaneous melanoma, respectively.

conclusionHLA-A*02:01 was not associated with specific checkpoint inhibitor-induced organ toxicity in this cohort of HLA-A-typed melanoma patients. Interestingly, in the relatively small subgroup of patients with cutaneous melanoma an earlier progression in HLA-A*02:01 positive patients was observed, however not in the long term. These findings are exploratory due to the limited sample size and require validation in larger, prospective cohorts.

Indexed as

HLA-A2 AntigenHLA-A AntigensImmune Checkpoint InhibitorsMelanomaSkin NeoplasmsAdultAgedAged, 80 and overFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedProgression-Free SurvivalRetrospective StudiesHLA-A*02:01 antigenHLA-A*02 antigenHLA-A2 AntigenHLA-A AntigensImmune Checkpoint InhibitorsGenetic factorsImmunotherapyIrAEPredictive markerRisk factor

Identifiers

PMID40155873
PMCPMC11954185

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.