ABSTRACT
Immune check point inhibitors (ICIs) are now increasingly used for cancer therapy. At the same time, by activating the immune system, ICIs induce unique side effects, termed immune-related adverse events (irAEs). Renal irAEs, although uncommon, result in acute tubulointerstitial nephritis. Recently, because of an increase in ICI administration, renal irAEs, including glomerulonephritis, are being increasingly reported. A 69-year-old man presented with nephrotic syndrome after use of the ICI nivolumab. He underwent renal biopsy and was diagnosed with membranous nephropathy (MN) without acute tubulointerstitial nephritis. Immunofluorescence staining was negative for IgG4 and phospholipase A2 receptor (PLA2R), suggesting a malignancy-associated pattern. Oral glucocorticoid therapy was started as the standard treatment for irAEs, which resulted in complete remission of the nephrotic syndrome in 20 months. We suggest his MN was induced or accelerated by immune activation due to nivolumab. It means that ICIs possibly induce not only acute tubulointerstitial nephritis but also nephrotic syndrome due to MN as renal irAEs which is treatable with glucocorticoid.
Subject(s)
Adenocarcinoma of Lung , Glomerulonephritis, Membranous , Lung Neoplasms , Nephrotic Syndrome , Adenocarcinoma of Lung/drug therapy , Aged , Female , Glomerulonephritis, Membranous/diagnosis , Glomerulonephritis, Membranous/drug therapy , Glucocorticoids/therapeutic use , Humans , Lung Neoplasms/drug therapy , Male , Nephritis, Interstitial , Nephrotic Syndrome/chemically induced , Nephrotic Syndrome/diagnosis , Nephrotic Syndrome/drug therapy , Nivolumab/adverse effectsABSTRACT
The breakpoint cluster region (BCR) is known as a kinase and cause of leukemia upon fusing to Abl kinase. In this study, we demonstrate that BCR associated with the α subunit of casein kinase II (CK2α), rather than BCR itself, is required for inflammation development. We found that BCR knockdown inhibited NF-κB activation in vitro and in vivo. Computer simulation, however, suggested that the putative BCR kinase domain has an unstable structure with minimal enzymatic activity. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analysis showed that CK2α associated with BCR. We found the BCR functions are mediated by CK2α. Indeed, CK2α associated with adaptor molecules of TNF-αR and phosphorylated BCR at Y177 to establish a p65 binding site after TNF-α stimulation. Notably, p65 S529 phosphorylation by CK2α creates a p300 binding site and increased p65-mediated transcription followed by inflammation development in vivo. These results suggest that BCR-mediated inflammation is dependent on CK2α, and the BCR-CK2α complex could be a novel therapeutic target for various inflammatory diseases.
