The Journal for Immuno Therapy of Cancer published a study online which stated that in patients receiving immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy, survival rate was higher in patients where the underlying etiology was acute interstitial nephritis (AIN) compared to those with acute kidney injury (AKI). 

In this observational cohort study, among the 2207 patients receiving immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy, 28% died at 1 year and 25% developed AKI. AKI was linked to an increased risk of death, AKI patients with eAIN had more severe AKI as was evident from their higher peak serum creatinine, but had lower death rates than those without eAIN in univariable analysis and after adjusting for demographics, comorbidities, and cancer type and severity.

Patients with acute kidney injury had a threefold higher risk of death (3.11) than those who did not have a renal injury or those who had AIN as the underlying etiology. As a result, when clinically appropriate, individuals who develop immunotherapy-associated acute kidney damage should be tested to check if the underlying cause of AKI is AIN. Future research could look into the link between biopsy-proven or biomarker-proven AIN and mortality in ICI patients. (Medscape Medical News, April 01, 2022), Journal for Immuno Therapy of Cancer 2022; 10:e004421. doi: 10.1136/jitc-2021-004421