Korean J Dermatol.  2021 Sep;59(8):644-648.

Cutaneous Adverse Events of Anti-Programmed Cell Death Receptor-1 Antibody: Two Case Reports and a Literature Review

• Lim JS
• Kim HH
• Kwon ES
• Myung KB
• Cheong SH

Abstract

The introduction of immune checkpoint inhibitors, including anti-programmed cell death receptor-1 antibodies (anti-PD-1 Ab), such as nivolumab and pembrolizumab, represents a major breakthrough in cancer therapy. The PD-1 pathway inhibits T cell activation, maintaining a normal and balanced immune response. Anti-PD-1 Ab induces T cell activity by inhibiting the suppressive effect of PD-1 signaling on T cells. Excessive stimulation of T cells represents a potential mechanism for multiple skin lesions. To the best of our knowledge, reports on cutaneous adverse effects during treatment with anti-PD-1 Ab are limited in the dermatological literature of Korea. Herein, we report two rare cases of nivolumab-induced lichenoid drug eruption and pembrolizumab-induced psoriasis.

Keyword

Adverse events; Immune checkpoint; Nivolumab; Pembrolizumab; Programmed death receptor-1