Assessing the effects of immune checkpoint inhibitors on bone utilizing machine learning-assisted opportunistic quantitative computed tomography.

Journal: Journal of bone and mineral research : the official journal of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research
PMID: 39849845

Abstract

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are widely used in cancer treatment, yet their impact on bone health remains unclear. This study aimed to perform a retrospective cohort study utilizing routine CT scans from patients with melanoma to perform opportunistic QCT analysis to investigate the effects of ICI treatment on skeletal health, including volumetric BMD (vBMD) measurements and osteoarthritis (OA) parameters. A previously established machine learning-assisted opportunistic QCT pipeline was used to estimate lumbar spine vBMD from baseline and 12-mo follow-up CT scans in patients with melanoma treated with ICI therapy and those not treated with ICI therapy. Facet joint OA, osteophyte formation, and endplate sclerosis were also graded. Independent and paired t tests were used to determine any differences in vBMD and OA parameters between ICI users and non-ICI users. Multivariable linear regression models were used to control for confounding variables. Non-ICI users had a significant decrease in vBMD of -6.96 mg/cm3 from baseline to follow-up, whereas the ICI users had no significant change. There was a significant difference in change in vBMD from baseline to follow-up between the 2 groups, with the non-ICI users experiencing a 11.22 mg/cm3 larger decrease in vBMD. After adjusting for baseline age, sex, baseline vBMD, and change in OA parameters, this difference remained significant at -13.04 mg/cm3. Among the ICI users, those who had a decline in vBMD had a lower baseline vBMD compared with those who had increased vBMD. Neither group showed a significant change in OA parameters over the follow-up period, nor a difference in change between ICI and non-ICI users, even after adjusting for sex, age, and baseline OA parameters. While the effects of ICI treatment on vBMD may vary based on baseline bone health, ICIs do not significantly impact OA parameters in the short term.

Authors

  • Bryn E Matheson
    McCaig Institute for Bone and Joint Health, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4Z6, Canada.
  • Jacob L Jaremko
    Department of Radiology and Diagnostic Imaging, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
  • Alexandra Dowhanik
    Department of Radiology and Diagnostic Imaging, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2B7, Canada.
  • Jasmine Gill
    Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2G3, Canada.
  • Cassandra Gallant
    Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2G3, Canada.
  • John Walker
    Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2G3, Canada.
  • Nathan Armani
    Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2G3, Canada.
  • William D Leslie
    From the Department of Radiology, University of Manitoba, 820 Sherbrook St, GA216, Winnipeg, MB, Canada R3T 2N2 (S.D., C.K., D.K., M.J.J., J.M.D., W.D.L.); and St Boniface Hospital Albrechtsen Research Centre, Winnipeg, Canada (C.K., D.K.).
  • Michael Kolinsky
    Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2G3, Canada.
  • Steven K Boyd
    Department of Biomedical Engineering, Schulich School of Engineering, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada; McCaig Institute for Bone and Joint Health, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Department of Radiology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Electronic address: skboyd@ucalgary.ca.
  • Carrie Ye
    McCaig Institute for Bone and Joint Health, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4Z6, Canada.

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