Campylobacter infection in 4 patients treated with ibrutinib

• Published in: European journal of clinical microbiology & infectious diseases Vol. 41; no. 5; pp. 849 - 852
• Main Authors: Sorin, Boris, Vigneron, Julien, Fadlallah, Jehane, Mondesir, Johanna, Fieschi, Claire, Oksenhendler, Eric, Galicier, Lionel, Malphettes, Marion
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.05.2022; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Antibiotics; Arthritis; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Brief Report; Bruton's tyrosine kinase; Campylobacter; Campylobacteriosis; Diarrhea; Enzyme inhibitors; Immunoproliferative diseases; Internal Medicine; Kinases; Lymphatic diseases; Lymphocytes; Lymphocytes B; Medical Microbiology; Protein-tyrosine kinase; Signs and symptoms; Tyrosine; B-cell lymphoproliferative disorders; sp; Ibrutinib; Panniculitis; Campylobacter sp
• ISSN: 0934-9723; 1435-4373
• DOI: 10.1007/s10096-022-04433-4

Ibrutinib is a Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor used in B-cell lymphoproliferative disorders. Patients with genetic BTK deficiency are susceptible to recurrent and severe Campylobacter infections. We report 4 patients treated with ibrutinib who developed chronic or extra-digestive campylobacteriosis resembling ibrutinib-related adverse events including diarrhea ( n  = 4), panniculitis ( n  = 2), and arthritis ( n  = 1). Microbiological explorations identified Campylobacter jejuni ( n  = 3) or Campylobacter coli ( n  = 1). All the patients completely recovered after a short course of oral antibiotic therapy. In patients treated with ibrutinib presenting with chronic diarrhea, dermatological, or rheumatological manifestations, campylobacteriosis should be ruled out before attributing the symptoms to ibrutinib and discuss its discontinuation.