Immunomodulatory Changes Following Isolated RF Ablation in Colorectal Liver Metastases: A Case Report

• Published in: Medicines (Basel, Switzerland) Switzerland), 2019-05, Vol.6 (2), p.56
• Main Authors: Janikashvili, Nona, Jayant, Kumar, Kikodze, Nino, Mazmishvili, Ketevan, Pantsulaia, Ia, Sandhu, Bynvant, Podda, Mauro, Iobadze, Manana, Azrumelashvili, Tamta, Mizandari, Malkhaz, Habib, Nagy, Chikovani, Tinatin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Case Report; colorectal cancer; immunomodulation
• ISSN: 2305-6320; 2305-6320
• DOI: 10.3390/medicines6020056

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer worldwide and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in developed countries. The liver is the most prevalent site of metastasis from CRC. Currently, the gold-standard treatment for colorectal liver metastases (CLMs) is surgical resection. However, depending on the pattern of the disease, a significant number of patients may require different approaches alone or in combination with surgery, including thermal ablation (radiofrequency (RFA) or microwave (MWA) ablation) or transarterial liver-directed therapies, although the latter is not yet part of the standard treatment for CRC liver metastases. We present the case of a 63-yearold man with bilobar CLM who was treated with transarterial embolization (TAE) and RFA followed by chemotherapy. A post-RFA study of immune parameters revealed the downregulation of CD39 expression in the circulating CD4 T cell population and a reduction of the serum levels of cytokines IL-10, TGF-β, IFN-gamma and IL-17, which positively correlated with the diminished serum level of gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) and the subdued inflammatory markers: the neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet/lymphocyte ratio (PLR). Later, the patient underwent chemotherapy. Liver failure developed within two years and nine months following tumour ablation, leading to the death of the patient. However, the denial of adjuvant chemotherapy by the patient gave us the opportunity to assess the immunomodulatory changes following RFA in the absence of any other therapeutic modalities.