#6-02E. Biomarkers of Risk: Predicting Cytokine Release Syndrome in CAR T-Cell Therapy for Autoimmune Disease (Lancet Rheumatol, 2026)

As chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy expands into refractory autoimmune diseases, predicting severe side effects like cytokine release syndrome remains a critical challenge. In a multicenter cohort of 108 patients, post-treatment cytokine release syndrome occurred in 80% of cases—mostly mild—with higher baseline B-cell counts and interleukin-6 levels significantly driving risk. However, clinicians should note that these threshold cutoffs were derived retrospectively without external validation. Overall, baseline biomarker profiling offers a practical approach for early risk stratification and pre-infusion inflammation management to optimize patient safety.

Citation: Chan SCW, Tascilar K, Wirsching A, et al. Predicting prevalence and severity of cytokine release syndrome after CAR T-cell therapy in patients with autoimmune disease: a retrospective cohort study. The Lancet Rheumatology. 2026.

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