Increased serum cholesterol and long-chain fatty acid levels are associated with the efficacy of nivolumab in patients with non-small cell lung cancer

• DOI: 10.1007/s00262-021-02979-4
• Publication Date: 2021-06-05T17:02:31Z
• Authors: Masato Karayama; Naoki Inui; Yusuke Inoue; Katsuhiro Yoshimura; Kazutaka Mori; Hironao Hozumi; Yuzo Suzuki; Kazuki Furuhashi; Tomoyuki Fujisawa; Noriyuki Enomoto; Yutaro Nakamura; Kazuhiro Asada; Tomohiro Uto; Masato Fujii; Takashi Matsui; Shun Matsuura; Dai Hashimoto; Mikio Toyoshima; Hideki Kusagaya; Hiroyuki Matsuda; Nao Inami; Yusuke Kaida; Mitsuru Niwa; Yasuhiro Ito; Takafumi Suda
• Keywords: Stearic acid; High-density lipoprotein; Arachidic acid

Abstract Background Lipids have immunomodulatory functions and the potential to affect cancer immunity. Methods The associations of pretreatment serum cholesterol long-chain fatty acids with objective response rate (ORR), progression-free survival (PFS), overall (OS) were evaluated in 148 patients non-small cell lung who received nivolumab. Results When each lipid was separately evaluated, increased low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol ( P < 0.001), high-density (HDL)-cholesterol = 0.014), total 0.007), lauric acid 0.015), myristic 0.022), myristoleic 0.035), stearic 0.028), linoleic 0.005), arachidic 0.027), eicosadienoic 0.017), dihomo-γ-linolenic 0.036), behenic levels 0.032) associated longer PFS independent programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression. Meanwhile, LDL-cholesterol HDL-cholesterol 0.009), lignoceric 0.028) OS PD-L1 multiple lipids simultaneously, 0.003), 0.036) independently predictive PFS, 0.008) 0.031) OS. ORR not any lipid. Conclusions Based on association prolonged levels, may be useful for predicting efficacy immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy.