Case Report: IBD-like colitis following CAR T cell therapy for diffuse large B cell lymphoma

Sebastian Zundler; Francesco Vitali; Soraya Kharboutli; Simon Völkl; Iris Polifka; Andreas Mackensen; Raja Atreya; Markus F Neurath; Dimitrios Mougiakakos

doi:10.3389/fonc.2023.1149450

Case Report: IBD-like colitis following CAR T cell therapy for diffuse large B cell lymphoma

Front Oncol. 2023 May 22:13:1149450. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1149450. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Sebastian Zundler^{1

2}, Francesco Vitali¹, Soraya Kharboutli³, Simon Völkl³, Iris Polifka⁴, Andreas Mackensen^{2

3}, Raja Atreya^{1

2}, Markus F Neurath^{1

2}, Dimitrios Mougiakakos^{2

3

5}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Medicine 1 - Gastroenterology, Pneumology, Endocrinology, University Hospital Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany.
² University Hospital Erlangen, Deutsches Zentrum Immuntherapie, Erlangen, Germany.
³ Department of Medicine 5 - Hematology/Oncology, University Hospital Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany.
⁴ Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany.
⁵ Department for Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany.

Abstract

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy has become a new mainstay in the treatment of several hematologic malignancies, but the spectrum of associated complications is still incompletely defined. Here, we report the case of a 70-year-old female patient treated with tisagenlecleucel for diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL), who developed chronic diarrhea with characteristics of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)-like colitis. CAR T cells were substantially enriched in the colon lamina propria and other diagnoses were ruled out. Thus, we conclude that IBD-like colitis in this patient was associated to CAR T cell therapy and needs to be considered as a rare potential complication.

Keywords: CAR T cells; case report; diffuse large B cell lymphoma; inflammatory bowel disease (IBD); tisagenlecleucel.

Publication types

Case Reports