Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor-Associated Myocarditis: Risk, Diagnosis, and Clinical Impact
Abstract
1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
3. Mechanisms of Cardiotoxicity Regarding Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors
4. Risk and Epidemiology of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors-Myocarditis
- Risk factors and demographics
5. Physiopathological Mechanism of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor-Associated Myocarditis
5.1. Pathophysiological Mechanisms
5.2. Pathological Features
6. Diagnosis, Clinical Presentation, and Clinical Impact
6.1. Clinical Presentation and Overlap Phenotypes
6.2. Diagnostic Criteria and Imaging
7. Focus on Emerging Biomarkers
7.1. Standard Cardiac and Non-Cardiac Biomarkers
7.2. Novel Biomarkers: MicroRNA and Omics
8. Immunosuppressive Management and Rechallenge
8.1. First-Line Treatment
8.2. Second-Line Therapy for Steroid-Refractory Cases
8.3. ICI Rechallenge
9. Future Perspectives and Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
References
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| Tumor Type | CTLA-4 (Global) | PD-1 (Global) | PD-L1 (Global) | PD-1 China-Only Agents |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melanoma | Ipilimumab; Ipilimumab + Nivolumab | Pembrolizumab; Nivolumab; Relatlimab + Nivolumab | – | Toripalimab; Camrelizumab |
| RCC | Ipilimumab + Nivolumab | Pembrolizumab; Nivolumab | Avelumab; Atezolizumab | – |
| CRC (MSI-H) | Ipilimumab + Nivolumab | Pembrolizumab; Nivolumab | – | Tislelizumab; Sintilimab |
| HCC | Tremelimumab + Durvalumab | Pembrolizumab; Nivolumab | Durvalumab; Atezolizumab + Bevacizumab | Camrelizumab; Sintilimab |
| NSCLC | Ipilimumab + Nivolumab; Tremelimumab + Durvalumab | Pembrolizumab; Nivolumab; Cemiplimab; Tislelizumab | Atezolizumab; Durvalumab | Toripalimab; Sintilimab; Camrelizumab; Tislelizumab |
| SCLC | – | – | Atezolizumab; Durvalumab | Camrelizumab |
| PM | Ipilimumab + Nivolumab | Nivolumab | – | – |
| HNSCC | – | Pembrolizumab; Nivolumab | – | Camrelizumab; Sintilimab |
| cHL | – | Pembrolizumab; Nivolumab | – | Sintilimab; Camrelizumab |
| PMBCL | – | Pembrolizumab | – | – |
| Urothelial carcinoma | – | Pembrolizumab; Nivolumab | Atezolizumab; Avelumab; Durvalumab | Toripalimab; Camrelizumab |
| Gastric/GEJ cancer | – | Pembrolizumab; Tislelizumab | – | Camrelizumab; Sintilimab |
| Esophageal SCC | – | Pembrolizumab; Nivolumab; Tislelizumab | – | Sintilimab; Camrelizumab; Tislelizumab |
| Cervical carcinoma | – | Pembrolizumab | – | Toripalimab; Camrelizumab |
| MCC | – | Pembrolizumab; Nivolumab | Avelumab | – |
| Endometrial carcinoma | – | Dostarlimab; Pembrolizumab | – | Camrelizumab |
| cSCC | – | Cemiplimab; Pembrolizumab | – | – |
| BCC | – | Cemiplimab | – | – |
| TNBC | – | Pembrolizumab | Atezolizumab | Camrelizumab; Toripalimab |
| BTC | – | Pembrolizumab | Durvalumab + Gemcitabine/Cisplatin | Camrelizumab |
| Nasopharyngeal carcinoma | – | Toripalimab; Tislelizumab | – | Toripalimab |
| CTCAE Grade and Clinical Implications | ESC Classification and Clinical Implications |
|---|---|
| Grade 1 Myocarditis: N/A. | Low risk: Stable symptoms or oligosymptomatic. |
| Grade 2 Myocarditis: Symptoms with moderate activity or exertion. | Intermediate risk:
|
| Grade 3 Myocarditis: Severe with symptoms at rest or with minimal activity or exertion; intervention indicated; new onset of symptoms. | High risk:
|
| Grade 4 Myocarditis: Life-threatening consequences: urgent intervention indicated, such as continuous intravenous therapy or mechanical hemodynamic support. | |
| Grade 5 Myocarditis: Death. | Death. |
| Diagnostic Method | Pros/Advantages | Cons/Limitations |
|---|---|---|
| cTnT and cTnI | Highly sensitive (elevated in 94% of cases); cTnT is especially useful for monitoring and identifying risk (values ≥ 32× the upper limit within 72 h indicate high risk). | Elevated cTnT can reflect myositis rather than just the heart; lacks specificity for the exact cause of injury. |
| ECG | Essential first-line tool; abnormal in over 89% of cases. | Non-specific; ECG alterations are not predictive of the subsequent clinical course. |
| Standard Echocardiography | Crucial for initial hemodynamic triage and identifying acute decompensation or pericardial effusion. | Modest sensitivity for early screening; roughly 2/3 of patients have a normal LVEF at diagnosis. |
| Global Longitudinal Strain | Much more accurate than LVEF for identifying patients at risk of MACE, even when LVEF is normal. | Subject to technical variability; no universally accepted cut-offs yet. |
| Cardiac Magnetic Resonance | Cornerstone for tissue characterization; T1/T2 mapping can detect diffuse fibrosis and edema. | Modest sensitivity in very early stages; conventional criteria (LGE/T2 edema) are often negative when LVEF is preserved. |
| Novel Biomarkers | Potential for earlier diagnosis and more accurate prediction of fulminant cases than troponin. | Still largely in research phases; requires further validation in ICI-specific patient populations. |
| CTCAE Grade | ICI-Related Myocarditis | Recommendation for ICI Discontinuation | Recommendation for ICI Rechallenge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 1 | Mild; asymptomatic increase in cardiac biomarkers or mild fatigue. | Treatment suspension/hold: although typically used for managing grades 2–4, for mild cases, cessation or continuation with close monitoring may be clinically determined. | Rechallenge may be considered if symptoms and/or lab values resolve or return to ≤grade 1. |
| Grade 2 | Symptoms present with moderate activity or exertion. | Hold recommended: the ICI therapy should generally be suspended immediately upon suspicion of myocarditis. | Rechallenge is sometimes possible if symptoms and/or lab values return to ≤grade 1. |
| Grade 3 | Severe: symptoms at rest or with minimal activity or exertion; intervention indicated; new onset of symptoms. High risk of recurrent toxicity. | Permanent discontinuation recommended. | Generally not recommended: rechallenge is usually discouraged for grade 3 toxicity (except for endocrinopathies managed by replacement therapy, per broader irAE guidelines). Requires extreme caution and MDT discussion. |
| Grade 4 | Life-threatening consequences: urgent intervention indicated. | Permanent discontinuation recommended. | Generally not recommended: rechallenge is strongly contraindicated for grade 4 toxicities (except highly controlled endocrine irAEs). Requires MDT discussion. |
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© 2026 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license.
Share and Cite
Mauriello, A.; Correra, A.; Maratea, A.C.; Cetoretta, V.; Benfari, G.; Ilardi, F.; Cocchia, R.; Lisi, M.; Malagoli, A.; Mandoli, G.E.; et al. Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor-Associated Myocarditis: Risk, Diagnosis, and Clinical Impact. J. Clin. Med. 2026, 15, 814. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm15020814
Mauriello A, Correra A, Maratea AC, Cetoretta V, Benfari G, Ilardi F, Cocchia R, Lisi M, Malagoli A, Mandoli GE, et al. Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor-Associated Myocarditis: Risk, Diagnosis, and Clinical Impact. Journal of Clinical Medicine. 2026; 15(2):814. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm15020814
Chicago/Turabian StyleMauriello, Alfredo, Adriana Correra, Anna Chiara Maratea, Valeria Cetoretta, Giovanni Benfari, Federica Ilardi, Rosangela Cocchia, Matteo Lisi, Alessandro Malagoli, Giulia Elena Mandoli, and et al. 2026. "Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor-Associated Myocarditis: Risk, Diagnosis, and Clinical Impact" Journal of Clinical Medicine 15, no. 2: 814. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm15020814
APA StyleMauriello, A., Correra, A., Maratea, A. C., Cetoretta, V., Benfari, G., Ilardi, F., Cocchia, R., Lisi, M., Malagoli, A., Mandoli, G. E., Pastore, M. C., Sperlongano, S., Russo, V., Cameli, M., & D’Andrea, A., on behalf of the Working Group of Echocardiography of the Italian Society of Cardiology. (2026). Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor-Associated Myocarditis: Risk, Diagnosis, and Clinical Impact. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 15(2), 814. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm15020814

