Objectives: IFN-γ takes part in immunologic responses to cancer and its interactions with chemotherapy have also been described. Our previous study had showed an association between phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-stimulated IFN-γ (PSIG) response and overall survival in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Here, we aimed to evaluate the correlation between PSIG and chemotherapy responses.
Materials and methods: From January 2011 to August 2012, 340 newly diagnosed patients with lung cancer were enrolled in a prospective latent tuberculosis observational study. Patients with advanced NSCLC who were treated with chemotherapy were included in this analysis. An IFN-γ release assay (IGRA) was used to evaluate pre-treatment PSIG levels. Patients were grouped into low and high PHA response groups according to their PSIG levels. Their demographic characteristics, tumor responses, and survival rates were investigated.
Results: Eighty-four patients were enrolled. The chemotherapy response rates in the high and low PHA response groups were 45.2% and 35.7% (p=0.190), respectively. The disease control rate in the high PHA response group was 76.2%, versus 52.4% in the low PHA response group (p=0. 023). In multivariate analysis, PHA response was an independent predictor of disease control (odds ratio=3.017, 95% confidence interval=1.115-8.165). The Kaplan-Meier method demonstrated both longer progression-free survival (p=0.008) and overall survival (p=0.003) in the high PHA response group.
Conclusions: A higher pre-treatment PSIG response, obtained using the IGRA, was associated with better disease control rate and survival among patients with advanced NSCLC treated with chemotherapy.
Keywords: Chemotherapy; IFN-γ; Interferon-gamma release assay; Non-small-cell lung cancer.
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