Rheumatic immune-related adverse events with immune checkpoint inhibitors more severe than previously reported

22 Sep 2026, 21:00 · Medical Xpress

by Elana Gotkine

Robert Egan

Senior Editor

Meet our editorial team
Behind our editorial process
Editors' notes

This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:

fact-checked

reputable news agency

proofread

The GIST Add as preferred source

For patients receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), rheumatic immune-related adverse events (rh-irAEs) are usually moderate or severe, with more than one-third leading to permanent ICI discontinuation, according to a study published online Sept. 8 in ACR Open Rheumatology.

Didzis Gailis, M.D., from the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität University Hospital in Munich, and colleagues describe clinical phenotypes, treatment and outcomes of rh-irAEs in a multicenter observational registry of adults receiving ICIs.

Sixty patients were included as of Jan. 1, 2026; the main malignancy was melanoma (40%). The researchers found that the leading phenotype was rheumatoid arthritis-like polyarthritis, followed by polymyalgia rheumatica-like and peripheral spondyloarthritis-like syndrome (41.7%, 18.3% and 11.7%, respectively). Younger patients had axial spondyloarthritis-like syndrome.

Ninety percent had moderate or severe rh-irAEs; 23.3% and 38.3% required hospitalization and permanently discontinued ICIs, respectively. Eighty-five percent used systemic glucocorticoids (GCs); 58.3% and 53.3% were GC-refractory and required second-line immunomodulatory therapy, respectively. Overall, 33.3% and 51.7% achieved complete remission and partial remission, respectively. Fifteen percent had oncological progression; 28.1% of patients required second-line therapy. The strongest predictor of second-line systemic therapy was male sex.

"Strikingly, 53.3% of patients required immunomodulatory therapy beyond GCs," the authors write. "The therapeutic demand of rh-irAEs, particularly in a rheumatologist-referred setting, is greater than previously reported."

More information

Didzis Gailis et al, Clinical Phenotypes, Treatment, and Outcomes of Rheumatic Immune–Related Adverse Events in Patients Treated With Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: A Rheumatologists‐Referred Multicenter German Registry Cohort, ACR Open Rheumatology (2026). DOI: 10.1002/acr2.90145

Clinical categories

RheumatologyOncology Who's behind this story?

Robert Egan

Bachelor's in mathematical biology, Master's in creative writing. Well-traveled with unique perspectives on science and language. Full profile →

Citation: Rheumatic immune-related adverse events with immune checkpoint inhibitors more severe than previously reported (2026, September 22) retrieved 22 September 2026 from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-rheumatic-immune-adverse-events-checkpoint.html This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.