Serum lactate dehydrogenase before nivolumab treatment could be a therapeutic prognostic biomarker for patients with metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma

Background/Aim: The purpose of this retrospective study was to identify the predictive biomarkers of response to pretreatment for patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) treated with nivolumab. Materials and Methods: The subjects were 54 patients treated with nivolumab for mRCC with a clear cell component (mccRCC) between September 2016 and February 2018. We analyzed the impact of serum biomarkers (lactate dehydrogenase [LDH], neutrophil–to–lymphocyte ratio, and C-reactive protein) on patients treated with nivolumab. We adopted the International Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma Database Consortium prognostic model using six clinical factors (0=favorable, 1 or 2=intermediate, 3 to 6=poor risk groups, respectively). Results: The prognostic risk classification (non-poor vs. poor) and serum LDH levels were correlated with the objective response of nivolumab treatment for mccRCC. Elevated serum LDH levels at baseline were an independent biomarker for progression-free survival (PFS) of mccRCC patients receiving nivolumab [HR=2.268 (95%CI=1.014-5.051), p=0.046]. Notably, high LDH levels were associated with a poorer PFS for patients in the favorable-risk group. Conclusion: Serum LDH levels at baseline before nivolumab treatment were associated with the objective response and clinical outcome of nivolumab treatment.