Safety and efficacy of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T-cell therapy in persons with advanced B-cell cancers and hepatitis B virus-infection

• DOI: 10.1038/s41375-020-0936-4
• Publication Date: 2020-06-27T14:05:11Z
• Authors: Ying Wang; Yang Liu; Xu Tan; Bin Pan; Jian Ge; Kunming Qi; Hai Cheng; Jiang Cao; Ming Shi; Zhiling Yan; Jianlin Qiao; Guangjun Jing; Xue Wang; Wei Sang; Ruixiang Xia; Xi Zhang; Zhenyu Li; Robert Peter Gale; Junnian Zheng; Feng Zhu; Kailin Xu
• Keywords: Adult; Male; Lymphoma, B-Cell; Receptors, Chimeric Antigen; Adolescent; T-Lymphocytes; Middle Aged; Viral Load; Hepatitis B; Immunotherapy, Adoptive; 3. Good health; 03 medical and health sciences; Treatment Outcome; 0302 clinical medicine; Liver Function Tests; Child, Preschool; Leukemia, B-Cell; Humans; Female; Lymphocyte Count; Child; Aged; Neoplasm Staging

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T-cell is a safe and effective therapy of B-cell cancers but it is unknown if this is so in persons with prior hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. We studied 70 subjects with advanced B-cell cancers receiving CAR-T-cell therapy, 12 of whom had chronic HBV-infection (HBsAg positive) and 29 with resolved HBV-infection (HBsAg negative and anti-HBc positive). Safety and efficacy were compared with 29 subjects without HBV-infection. HBV was reactivated in 2 subjects with chronic HBV-infection and 1 with resolved HBV-infection. There was no HBV-related hepatitis flare. Responses to CAR-T-cell therapy in the three cohorts were not significantly different. There was no significant difference in the incidence or severity of cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and neurologic toxicity between the cohorts. Our data suggest that chronic and resolved HBV-infection do not affect the safety and efficacy of CAR-T-cell therapy.