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Tumor Biology |
Departments of Urology [M. G. S., J. A. W., G. O. N. O., F. M. J. D., E. O.], Nuclear Medicine [O. C. B., W. J. G. O., P. H. M. K., F. H. M. C.], and Pathology [G. J. L. H. v. L.], University Hospital Nijmegen, 6500 HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| ABSTRACT |
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Ten patients with a clinical diagnosis of primary RCC were studied. Nine days before surgery, patients received 125I-cG250 (5 mg of cG250, 50 µCi of 125I), followed by a second injection of 131I-cG250 (5 mg of cG250, 3.5 mCi of 131I) 4 days later. Postsurgery, the tumor was cut into (1-cm) thick slices. Slices were imaged on a gamma camera, and the slice with the most pronounced heterogeneity in 131I-cG250 distribution was selected and cut into 1-cm3 cubes. Each cube was analyzed for 125I-cG250 and 131I-cG250 uptake, and the 131I/125I ratio was determined. For each tumor slice, the distribution patterns of both isotopes were reconstructed and compared with each other.
All tumors analyzed showed a heterogeneous distribution of both isotopes throughout the tumor slice; focal uptake in some areas of a tumor reached very high levels (up to 0.19% injected dose/g), whereas other tumorous areas of the same slice showed much lower uptake (as low as 0.0047% injected dose/g). Remarkably, in all tumors, the distribution pattern of both injections was identical: without exception, in all samples analyzed (n = 692), the uptake of 125I-cG250 was similar to 131I-cG250 uptake. Overall, the 131I/125I ratio was 1.64 ± 0.31 (mean ± SD).
The constant 131I/125I ratios, observed in all tumor samples investigated, indicate that the tumor parameters governing cG250 mAb uptake were not altered significantly within the time period studied. In addition, the results of this study suggest that multiple radiolabeled antibody injections, administered within short time periods, will target the same areas within a tumor and, thus, will not solve the problem of heterogeneous tumor uptake of antibody.
| INTRODUCTION |
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In a Phase I protein dose escalation study with 131I-labeled mAb cG250 in patients with primary RCC, excellent tumor targeting was observed. In this study, tumor uptake as high as 0.52% ID/g and tumor:blood ratios as high as 855:1 (8 days p.i.) have been observed (9) . However, the distribution of the mAb cG250 throughout the tumors was highly heterogeneous: in some cases, regional differences in intratumoral mAb cG250 uptake exceeded a factor of 100 (9) . In a subsequent study, we showed that this heterogeneous mAb cG250 distribution could not be attributed solely to (a) antigen expression, (b) blood vessel density, (c) reactive stromal tissue, or (d) necro-sis (10) .
To further analyze the heterogeneous mAb cG250 tumor uptake, we designed a study to investigate whether this tumor uptake is influenced by the dynamic factors mentioned above. If, indeed, these factors determine intratumoral distribution of antibodies, the mAb cG250 distribution over an RCC tumor is likely to change with time. As a consequence, dose fractionation might circumvent heterogeneous tumor uptake of antibodies and prove to be more effective than single-dose radioimmunotherapy. Here, we present the results of a clinical study in patients with primary RCC in which the distribution of two consecutive injections of mAb cG250, with a time interval of 4 days, has been analyzed.
| MATERIALS AND METHODS |
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Radiolabeling and Quality Control.
Sterile vials with purified and pyrogen-free clinical-grade mAb cG250 were generously provided by Centocor Europe (Leiden, The Netherlands). mAb cG250 was radiolabeled according to the iodogen method (14)
. Briefly, 1.0 ml of cG250 (5 mg/ml) and 100 µl 0.5 M sodium phosphate (pH 7.2) were added to a iodogen-coated tube (50 µg). Subsequently, 200 µCi of Na125I (Amersham-Cygne, 's-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands; first mAb cG250 administration) or 8 mCi of Na131I (Nordion, Fleurus, Belgium; second mAb cG250 administration) were added. After 15 min of incubation at room temperature, the reaction mixture was applied on a PD-10 column (Pharmacia, Woerden, The Netherlands) and eluted with a phosphate buffered NaCl solution (pH 7.4; 8.2 g/liter NaCl, 1.9 g/liter Na2HPO4·2H2O, and 0.3 g/liter NaH2PO4·2H2O). The first activity peak eluted from the PD-10 column was collected, and cold cG250 was added to obtain a mAb cG250 solution with a specific activity of 10 µCi 125I/mg mAb cG250 or a specific activity of 0.7 mCi 131I/mg mAb cG250.
ITLC was used to determine the presence of free radioiodine using Gelman ITLC-SG strips (Gelman Sciences, Inc., Ann Arbor, MI) and 0.15 M sodium citrate (pH 5.5) as the mobile phase (release criterion: <5% free radioiodine).
Prior to each antibody administration, the immunoreactivity of each preparation was determined on freshly trypsinized SK-RC-52 (15) cells, as described previously (16) .
Study Design.
On day 0, patients received a first i.v. infusion of 5 mg of mAb cG250 tracer labeled with 50 µCi of 125I. Four days later, a second i.v. infusion of 5 mg of mAb cG250 tracer labeled with 3.5 mCi of 131I was administered (day 4). Whole-body images were recorded 1 h (day 4), 2 days (day 6), and 4 days (day 8) after the second infusion, using a dual-headed gamma camera equipped with a high-energy collimator (Multispect 2; Siemens Inc., Hoffman Estates, IL). A tumor nephrectomy was performed on day 9. An interval of 4 days between both administrations (days 0 and 4) followed by surgery on day 9 allowed adequate tumor targeting of both injections. There were no deviations from the study protocol in any patient.
Tumor Analysis.
Immediately after surgery (day 9), the tumor specimens were cut into slices of 1-cm thickness. Slices were imaged on a single-head gamma camera (Orbiter; Siemens) equipped with a high-energy collimator. Using the images, the slice displaying the most pronounced heterogeneity was selected, mapped, and cut into 1-cm3 cubes. Each 1-cm3 tumor sample was then weighed and the uptake of both 125I-cG250 and 131I-cG250 was determined in a gamma counter (1480 Wizard 3''; Wallac Oy, Turku, Finland) using the different energy peaks of 125I and 131I. Samples were counted at two time points, directly after surgery and seven half-lives of 131I (8 weeks) later, to check for proper correction of 131I-scatter in the 125I channel of the gamma counter. After seven half-lives, the faster decay of 131I had resulted in well-balanced amounts of radioactivity from both isotopes in the tumor samples. Uptake in tumor samples was expressed as % ID/g. For each 1-cm3 tumor sample, the 131I/125I ratio was calculated. Differences in the distribution pattern of 125I-cG250 and 131I-cG250 over the tumor would reflect a change in factors governing tumor uptake dynamics within the four day time interval between the two administrations.
Three-Dimensional Display of Tumor Uptake.
A computerized reconstruction of the distribution pattern of both injections over the tumor slice was generated from the uptake of 125I-cG250 and 131I-cG250, as measured in the 1-cm3 tumor samples. To allow visual comparison of both distribution patterns, the data were rendered as a three-dimensional display. Cubic spline interpolation was used to create a smooth surface. Standard perspective projection, hidden surface removal, and the simulation of a light source completed the final image and gave a proper sense for the distribution of the uptake. Data on the grid outside the kidney were rendered in a dark gray color.
| RESULTS |
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95%), as measured by ITLC. The immunoreactivity of the 125I-cG250 and 131I-cG250 preparations was always >95%.
Tumor Analysis.
Counting of radioactivity in the tumor samples after seven half-lives of 131I revealed results that were identical to those obtained by counting of the samples directly after surgery, indicating that cross-over correction was carried out correctly.
A total of 692 tumor samples (1-cm3) from 10 tumors were investigated for the uptake of 125I-cG250 and 131I-cG250. All tumors analyzed showed a heterogeneous distribution of both isotopes throughout the tumor slice. An example of such heterogeneous distribution is shown in Fig. 1A
(tumor patient 8). The corresponding tumor slice is shown in Fig. 1B
. Focal uptake in some areas of this tumor reached very high levels (e.g., Fig. 1
, block 1, 131I-cG250 uptake, 0.19% ID/g; block 21, 131I-cG250 uptake, 0.18% ID/g), whereas other areas showed much lower uptake (e.g., Fig. 1
, block 18, 131I-cG250 uptake, 0.0047% ID/g). In all slices analyzed, the uptake of either 131I-cG250 or 125I-cG250 in the remaining normal kidney tissue did not exceed 0.0019% ID/g.
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Overall, the 131I-cG250 uptake (5 days p.i.) in the tumor samples (n = 692) was 1.64 ± 0.31 (mean ± SD) higher than the 125I-cG250 uptake (9 days p.i.; overall mean 131I/125I ratio).
131I-cG250 Immunoscintigraphy.
Excellent visualization of the primary tumors was obtained in all 10 patients. The tumors were first visualized on the second scan (48 h p.i.). As a result of background clearance, image quality improved with time. In Fig. 2
, an example of the immunoscintigrams is shown (patient 8, 4 days p.i.). Both the anterior and the posterior scan show a clear visualization of the tumor in the right kidney. In the lateral part of the tumor, an area with high 131I-cG250 uptake can be delineated from the medial part of the tumor, which shows lower 131I-cG250 uptake.
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Two typical examples of these reconstructions are shown in Fig. 3
(A and B, patient 7; C and D, patient 8). The intratumoral distribution of 125I-cG250 is virtually identical to the 131I-cG250 distribution.
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| DISCUSSION |
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In a previous study, we investigated whether tumor uptake of mAb cG250 correlated with antigen expression, (neo)vascularization, reactive stromal tissue, or necrosis (10) . This study showed that high antigen expression is a prerequisite for high antibody uptake. However, regional differences in antibody uptake within a tumor could not be explained by antigen expression alone. Similar results in different tumor types were obtained by several other investigators (17 , 18) ; antigen expression is an important factor, but the mechanism governing tumor uptake cannot be explained by antigen expression alone.
The observed heterogeneity in mAb cG250 uptake by the RCC tumors might be reduced by using tumor-saturating protein doses (9) . However, at tumor-saturating protein doses, the uptake of mAb cG250 in terms of % ID/g is highly reduced, which will hamper effective radioimmunotherapy (9) .
Over the last decade, Jain and coworkers (5, 6, 7, 8) investigated the tumor physiological factors that may hamper the delivery of macromolecules to tumors. This group of investigators especially focused on factors influencing the (micro)circulation, such as the nature of tumor vasculature, IFP, and (trans)vascular transport mechanisms. From this extensive work, several main conclusions were drawn: (a) the elevated IFP in tumors has been identified as a significant cause of the poor delivery of macromolecules (19) ; (b) microvascular pressure is the principle driving force for elevated IFP (20) ; (c) elevated IFP is associated with the development of the neovasculature (21) ; (d) elevated IFP coupled with high vascular permeability may contribute to blood flow reduction and alteration of the blood flow pattern (7 , 8) ; and (e) transient collapse of tumor vessels may occur as a result from locally higher mean IFP compared to the microvascular pressure (7) . From these conclusions, the authors postulated that the (micro)circulation in a tumor has an unstable character with possible reversal of blood flow directions. Most likely, this contributes significantly to the reported temporal and spatial heterogeneities in blood flow (22, 23, 24) .
Here, we investigated in patients with primary RCC whether mAb cG250 uptake is influenced by dynamic processes, as mentioned above. If, indeed, mAb cG250 uptake is dependent on these dynamic processes, differences in the distribution of two consecutive injections would be expected. In other words, repetitive injections would target different areas within a tumor. The former might implicate that fractionated radioimmunotherapy may be more effective than single high-dose radioimmunotherapy. However, the results of several studies are conflicting. Buchegger et al. (25) investigated the antitumor effects of radioimmunotherapy in nude mice with a s.c. human colon carcinoma xenograft and obtained higher and longer lasting response rates with single-dose radioimmunotherapy compared to dose fractionation. Similarly, Ullen et al. (26) reported higher tumor uptake as well as a higher tumor dose for a single bolus injection compared to the equivalent of multiple injections. In contrast, several other investigators have reported that fractionated dose radioimmunotherapy might be preferential to single high-dose radioimmunotherapy. It has been shown in both preclinical as well as in clinical studies that dose fractionation may allow the administration of a higher total dose of radioactivity compared to single-dose radioimmunotherapy and may lead to higher response rates (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32) . In addition, Blumenthal et al. showed in various tumor models that a first gift radioimmunotherapy (high-dose radioactivity) may significantly alter the vascular permeability of the tumor and, thus, the uptake of a second gift of radiolabeled antibody in the tumor (33) . On the basis of a mathematical model, ODonoghue et al. (34) designed a rapid fractionation protocol for radioimmunotherapy using data from a clinical Phase I/II trial with murine mAb G250 in RCC patients. Simulated treatment consisted of a series of administrations separated by gaps of 3 days. For a heterogeneous absorbed dose distribution, rapid fractionation was predicted to be better than a single high-dose administration. The model showed that the efficacy of repeated administrations improved with increasing heterogeneity and number of administered fractions.
The results of our study, however, clearly demonstrate the identical behavior of the two consecutive mAb cG250 injections, given 4 days apart. This is best shown by the observation that, in the investigated tumor samples (n = 692), the differences between 125I-cG250 and 131I-cG250 uptake never exceeded a factor 3, whereas regional differences (i.e., different samples) in uptake of the same antibody injection sometimes exceeded a factor 40 or more. The strikingly similar three-dimensionally displayed distribution patterns of both injections over a tumor nicely illustrate this identical behavior. This is an unexpected finding in view of the temporal and spatial blood flow heterogeneity, as demonstrated in previous studies. Differences in uptake between 125I-cG250 and 131I-cG250 might still be present on a millimeter scale or even at a cellular level. However, the observed heterogeneous distribution of each separate injection on a centimeter scale will limit effective radioimmunotherapy and, apparently, cannot be overcome by multiple injections.
In conclusion, the identical distribution of the two mAb injections spaced 4 days apart indicates that the tumor parameters governing mAb cG250 uptake do not significantly alter within the time frame studied. The results of this study suggest that multiple injections of radiolabeled antibodies (dose-fractionated radioimmunotherapy), administered within short periods of time, will target the same areas within a tumor and, thus, will not solve the problem of heterogeneity of antibody uptake by the tumor.
| ACKNOWLEDGMENTS |
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| FOOTNOTES |
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1 This study was supported by the Dutch Cancer Society/Koningin Wilhelmina Fonds Grant 94-738. ![]()
2 To whom requests for reprints should be addressed, at Department of Urology, University Hospital Nijmegen, P.O. Box 9101, 6500 HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. Phone: 31-24-3613813; Fax: 31-24-3618942; ![]()
3 The abbreviations used are: IFP, interstitial fluid pressure; mAb, monoclonal antibody; cG250, chimeric G250; RCC, renal cell carcinoma; ID, injected dose; p.i., postinjection; ITLC, instant TLC. ![]()
Received 7/22/98. Accepted 2/ 3/99.
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