Social determinants of health and baseline blood biomarkers are associated with immunotherapy response in leukemia patients 3145

Description Immunotherapy treatments, including targeted antibody therapies (TT) and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), have significantly improved outcomes in adult leukemia patients. However, many still experience resistance and succumb to the disease. Identifying predictive factors and biomarkers for response to immunotherapy is essential for optimizing treatment strategies and improving survival rates. In this retrospective study, we analyzed data from 744 leukemia patients who received at least one dose of immunotherapy (either ICIs or TT). We investigated correlations between patient demographics, baseline blood biomarkers, and overall survival using the Log-rank test and Cox proportional hazard regression models. Our findings suggest that social determinants of health and baseline blood biomarkers may predict immunotherapy response in leukemia patients. Patients over 62, African American/Black, unemployed, with lower blood counts (neutrophils, lymphocytes, platelets), albumin <3.9 g/dL, and ICIs treatment tend to have worse survival outcomes (HR > 1.5, P < 0.0001). Multivariate regression identified older age (>62 years) (HR = 1.91 [1.42, 2.56]), ICIs treatment (HR = 5.31 [3.43, 8.22]), and low albumin (HR = 2.26 [1.68, 3.03]) as independent risk factors for poorer response.