WCLC 2025 - Posters & ePosters-EP.06.78 T Lymphocyte Subpopulations as Predictive Biomarkers in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients Treated With Anti-Pd(L)1 Inhibitors

EP.06.78 T Lymphocyte Subpopulations as Predictive Biomarkers in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients Treated With Anti-Pd(L)1 Inhibitors

Back to course

Pdf Summary

This study evaluates peripheral blood T lymphocyte subpopulations as potential predictive biomarkers in 50 newly diagnosed non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients undergoing anti-PD(L)1 immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy (atezolizumab, pembrolizumab, durvalumab). Using multiparametric flow cytometry, the researchers characterized naïve, effector, and memory T cell subsets and their activation markers, correlating findings with tumor stage, treatment response (RECIST), and progression over a 12-month period.<br /><br />Key findings include:  <br />- Naïve CD4 and CD8 T lymphocytes were significantly higher in stage IV compared to stage III patients, with absolute counts showing consistent stage-related differences over time.  <br />- Patients treated with durvalumab had significantly lower absolute total and CD4 T cell counts but higher activation marker expression (HLA-DR and CD38) on CD4 T cells compared to other ICIs.  <br />- Higher baseline and early post-treatment levels of effector memory CD4 Th1/17 cells and less differentiated CD27+CD28+ effector memory T cells correlated with clinical benefit (CR/PR/SD) versus progressive disease.  <br />- Unsupervised multiparametric analysis identified 36 lymphocyte clusters, of which several were distinctly associated with tumor stage and treatment response. For example, cluster k35_20 was linked to clinical benefit, while k35_31 was enriched in patients with disease progression.  <br /><br />Overall, the study demonstrates that specific T cell immunological profiles in peripheral blood, particularly naïve and effector memory subsets and their activation status, vary with tumor stage and therapeutic outcome in NSCLC. These peripheral T cell signatures show promise as predictive biomarkers to enhance patient stratification and monitor response to anti-PD(L)1 immunotherapy beyond existing PD-L1 expression measures. Further research could refine these immune biomarkers to optimize personalized treatment strategies in advanced NSCLC.

Asset Subtitle

Teresa Moran-Bueno

Meta Tag

Speaker Teresa Moran-Bueno

Topic Pathology and Biomarkers

Keywords

non-small cell lung cancer

NSCLC

T lymphocytes

immune checkpoint inhibitors

anti-PD(L)1 therapy

atezolizumab

pembrolizumab

durvalumab

biomarkers

flow cytometry