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Pembrolizumab for the treatment of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy in China

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Abstract

The aim of this study is to analyze the clinical characteristics and outcomes of Chinese patients with progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) who were treated with programmed cell death protein 1 (PD1) blockade therapies. We retrospectively analyzed patients who were admitted to our hospital between October 1, 2020, and October 1, 2022, diagnosed with PML and treated with PD1 blockade therapies. Four patients with PML who were treated with PD1 blockade therapies were identified. All patients were male, and their ages ranged from 19 to 54 years old. One patient (Case 2) exhibited mild pleocytosis, while three patients (Cases 2–4) had markedly reduced T lymphocyte cell counts prior to treatment. The time interval between symptom onset and treatment initiation ranged from six to 54 weeks. All patients received pembrolizumab treatment, with a total of two to four doses administered. Three patients who responded to pembrolizumab treatment showed clinical improvement starting around 8 weeks after the initiation of therapy. Although one patient did not show clinical improvement, they ultimately survived until the last follow-up. None of the patients in this study exhibited immune-related adverse events or immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome. PD1 blockade appears to be a promising novel therapeutic option for PML; additional prospective studies are necessary to confirm its efficacy.

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The original contributions presented in the study are incorporated within the article. For additional inquiries, please contact the corresponding author.

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Funding

This study was funded by the National High Level Hospital Clinical Research Funding (Grant No. 2022-PUMCH-B-120) and CAMS Innovation Fund for Medical Sciences (Grant No. CIFMS: 2021-I2M-C&T-A-002).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, 100730, Beijing, China

    Siyuan Fan, Mange Liu, Lin Bai, Sixian Chen, Nan Lin, Jing Yuan, Chenhui Mao, Jingwen Niu, Haitao Ren, Yanhuan Zhao, Yicheng Zhu, Bin Peng & Hongzhi Guan

  2. Department of Radiology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, 100730, Beijing, China

    Bo Hou

  3. Department of Neurology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, 100050, Beijing, China

    Zaiqiang Zhang

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  1. Siyuan Fan
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  2. Mange Liu
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  3. Lin Bai
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  4. Sixian Chen
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  5. Bo Hou
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  6. Nan Lin
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  10. Haitao Ren
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  12. Zaiqiang Zhang
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  14. Bin Peng
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  15. Hongzhi Guan
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Correspondence to Hongzhi Guan.

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Fan, S., Liu, M., Bai, L. et al. Pembrolizumab for the treatment of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy in China. J. Neurovirol. 29, 692–698 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13365-023-01180-w

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13365-023-01180-w

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