Proliferation characteristics in pediatric Hodgkin's lymphoma point to a cell cycle arrest in the G(1) phase

This study was undertaken to determine the prognostic relevance of the proliferation rate in neoplastic cells in children and adolescents with Hodgkin's lymphoma. Paraffin-embedded biopsy specimens were immunostained with the proliferation-associated monoclonal antibodies Ki-S5 (Ki-67 antigen) and Ki-S2 (which detects the repp86 protein). Repp86 is a protein of about 100 kDa encoded by a gene located on human chromosome band 20q11.2. In contrast to the Ki-67 antigen, repp86 expression is restricted to the cell cycle phases G(2), S and M. Immunohistochemical results on diagnostic lymph node biopsy specimens from 224 patients included in two pediatric multicenter Hodgkin's trials, GPOH HD-90 and HD-95, were compared with clinical data. High Ki-67 antigen expression was a striking feature of Hodgkin's and Reed-Sternberg cells as well as lymphocytic and histiocytic cells (median: 80%, range: 20-100%), in contrast to low repp86 expression (median: 20%, range: 10-80%; P<0.001). The proliferation rate was independent of histological subtype, stage and presence of B symptoms. The probability of event-free and overall survival (+/-standard error) of all patients at 5 years was 91.6+/-2.0 and 98.1+/-1.0%, respectively. The proliferation rate of tumor cells did not influence the outcome. The difference between Ki-67 and repp86 expression in Hodgkin's and Reed-Sternberg or lymphocytic and histiocytic cells points to a possible cell cycle arrest in the G(1) phase, which may explain the obvious paradox of a highly proliferating but slowly growing paucicellular tumor. High Ki-67 expression does not seem to be an adverse prognostic factor in pediatric and adolescent patients with Hodgkin's lymphoma treated by effective risk-adapted chemo-radiotherapy regimens.

Salvage therapy of progressive and recurrent Hodgkin's disease: results from a multicenter study of the pediatric DAL/GPOH-HD study group

PURPOSE

To evaluate a salvage therapy (ST-HD-86) for patients with progressive and relapsed Hodgkin's disease after primary treatment in the pediatric DAL/GPOH studies. The essential chemotherapeutic regimens were ifosfamide, etoposide, and prednisone (IEP) and doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine (ABVD).

METHODS

One hundred seventy-six patients with progression (n = 51) or first relapse (n = 125) were enrolled by 67 centers. The median time from initial diagnosis to progression/relapse was 1.1 year (range, 0.1 to 15.3 years), and the patients' median age was 14.7 years (range, 4.3 to 24.5 years). Salvage chemotherapy consisted of two to three cycles of IEP alternating with one to two cycles of ABVD supplemented in part by one to two cycles of cyclophosphamide, vincristine, procarbazine, and prednisone or lomustine (CCNU), etoposide, and prednimustine. Radiotherapy was given to involved areas using individualized doses. In the 1990s, additional high-dose chemotherapy with autologous stem-cell transplantation (SCT) was introduced for patients with unfavorable prognosis.

RESULTS

Disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) after 10 years are 62% and 75%, respectively (SE, 4% each). Of 176 patients, 73 suffered second events. The risk-factor analysis revealed the time to progression/relapse as the strongest prognostic factor (P = .0001). Patients with progression have an inferior outcome (DFS, 41%; OS, 51%), whereas patients with late relapse (> 12 months after end of therapy) do well (DFS, 86%; OS, 90%), although none of them received SCT in second remission.

CONCLUSION

The result can be considered favorable. Whereas the salvage strategy for progressive disease has to be optimized further, it is possible to reduce intensity and avoid SCT in late relapses after Hodgkin's disease in childhood/adolescence.

Impact of latent Epstein-Barr virus infection on outcome in children and adolescents with Hodgkin's lymphoma

PURPOSE

The prognostic significance of latent Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection in Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) is debated controversially. Especially in the pediatric age group, no conclusive data are available.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Eight hundred forty-two children and adolescents (median age, 13.7 years) from pediatric multicenter treatment studies HD-90 and HD-95 were studied for latent EBV infection in Hodgkin's and Reed-Sternberg cells by immunostaining against latent membrane protein 1 (LMP-1). Results were compared with established risk factors.

RESULTS

Two hundred sixty-three patients (31%) were LMP positive. EBV infection correlated with sex (39% male v 23% female; P < .001), histologic subtype (69% mixed cellularity v 22% nodular sclerosis v 6% lymphocyte predominance; P < .001) and young age. With a median follow-up of 4.9 years, 820 patients (97%) are alive. Probability of overall survival at 10 years (+/- standard deviation) for EBV-negative and -positive patients was 98.1% +/- 0.6% and 95.1% +/- 1.4%, respectively (P = .017 by log-rank test). A negative effect of EBV infection became evident for patients with nodular sclerosis subtype Bennett II (P = .02), and those treated for advanced stages (P = .003). In multivariate analysis, LMP positivity was an independent factor for adverse outcome (RR = 3.08). Probability of failure-free survival (FFS) in LMP positive and negative patients was 89.1% +/- 2.3% and 84.1% +/- 3.9%, respectively (P = .86).

CONCLUSION

With effective combined treatment modalities in pediatric HL, latent EBV infection has no influence on FFS but is associated with an inferior overall survival in crucial subgroups.

Importance of F18-fluorodeoxy-D-2-glucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) for staging and therapy control of Hodgkin's lymphoma in childhood and adolescence - consequences for the GPOH-HD 2003 protocol

The prognosis for children and adolescents with Hodgkin's lymphoma is excellent. However, many patients will show secondary malignancies 15-30 years after the initial diagnosis, which appears to be connected with the intensity of treatment during primary disease. In the GPOH-HD 95 trial, the indication for radiotherapy was limited to patients who did not show a complete remission after chemotherapy, as determined radiographically. In the future protocol, the indication for radiotherapy in patients with early-stage Hodgkin's lymphoma should be further refined by using FDG-PET for evaluating the response to chemotherapy. Furthermore, in patients at an advanced stage of the disease, it should be determined if sequential FDG-PET research during chemotherapy can separate patients into subgroups with an excellent or a poor prognosis. This article gives a review of the current literature on FDG-PET in patients with Hodgkin's lymphoma and outlines the consequences for future protocols.

Preliminary results of the multicenter trial GPOH-HD 95 for the treatment of Hodgkin's disease in children and adolescents: analysis and outlook

BACKGROUND

In 5 consecutive pediatric and adolescent Hodgkin's disease trials DAL-HD since 1978 the invasive diagnostic procedures and the radiotherapy have gradually been reduced and chemotherapy modified to minimize toxicity and the risk of late effects. Since 1982 the overall survival increased up to 95%. In this trial the possibility of reducing local radiation doses to 20 Gy in patients with good response to chemotherapy and omitting radiotherapy totally for patients with complete remission after chemotherapy was tested.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Over a period of 6 years, from August 1995 to July 2001, 1018 children and adolescents with Hodgkin's disease from Germany, Austria,Switzerland, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and Denmark were enrolled in this trial. The chemotherapy was equivalent to previous trial DAL-HD 90. The treatment group (TG) 1 (stages I and IIA) received 2 cycles OPPA for girls and 2 cycles OEPA for boys, TG2 (stages IIEA, IIB, IIIA) and TG3 (stages IIEB, IIIEA, IIIB, IV) received additional 2 or 4 cycles COPP respectively. In contrast to trial DAL-HD 90 boys in stage IIIB and IIIEB received OPPA instead of OEPA. The initial staging as well as the restaging for evaluating tumor volume reduction after chemotherapy was reviewed by the study center. Radiotherapy was planned accordingly: patients with complete remission after chemotherapy were not irradiated (21.9%); all other patients received local radiotherapy to the initially involved sites, depending on the tu-mor response. Patients with a partial remission of> 75 tumor regression were irradiated with 20 Gy (50AX), partial remission of< 75% with 30 Gy (4.1 %), and residual masses of > 50 ml were boosted up to 35 Gy (20.2 %).

RESULTS

36 tumor progressions and 49 relapses occurred over a period of 7 1/2 years (median followup 3 years, data deadline 12/19/02). Kaplan-Meier-analysis after 5 years showed a probability for event-free survival (pEFS) for all patients of 0.88 and for overall survival (pOS) of 0.97. For the total group the pDFS (disease free survival) was lower in 222 non irradiated patients than in the 758 irradiated patients (0.88 vs. 0.92,p - 0.049). But there was a difference between the individual treatment groups. In TG 1 there was no difference between nonirradiated and irradiated patients (0.97 vs. 0.94) and the non-ir-radiated patients showed a better trend. In TG 2, and in TG 2 and TG 3 combined, the pDFS was significantly worse for non irradiated patients in comparison with the irradiated patients (TG2:0.78 vs. 0.92; TG 2 +3:0.79 vs. 0.91). Compared to former DAL-HD trials the pOS stayed stable despite therapy reduction.

CONCLUSIONS

A reduction of radiotherapy to 20 Gy for patients in all stages with good response to chemotherapy is possible without deterioration of the results. The omission of radiotherapy for patients in complete remission after chemotherapy is recommended only for patients in early stages (TG1). In future trials the possibility of a wider selection for chemotherapy alone for this group needs to be evaluated. In intermediate (TG2) and advanced (TG3) stages omission of radiotherapy for patients incomplete remission results in a lower pEFS, but the pOS is not significantly reduced. Only with knowledge of the long term effects of today's therapy we can give a satisfactory answer to the question whether in future trials the primary aim should be pEFS as high as possible due to front-line-therapy or reduction of late effects.

[18-FDG-PET-findings in children and adolescents with Hodgkin's disease: retrospective evaluation of the correlation to other imaging procedures in initial staging and to the predictive value of follow up examinations]

Today no evidence based medicine analyses exist about the value of positron emission tomography (PET) in children and adolescents with Morbus Hodgkin. The increasing number of registered PET-examinations within the scope of the GPOH-HD 95 trial motivated to analyse the validity of 18-FDG-PET-examination findings in comparison to the conventional diagnostic methods (CT/MRI/ultrasound) and to the patients follow up. 67 PET-primary staging findings and 48 PET-follow up findings of altogether 106 patients from 27 PET-centres were analysed. Concerning the primary staging findings a concordance of 92% of the PET-findings and the findings of the CT/MRI/ultrasound-examinations per localisation was found, but in more than 50% of the patients a discrepancy occurred in at least one of the 9 investigated localisations. The analysis of the PET follow up findings showed a negative predictive value of 94% in regularly examinations (without previous suspicion of relapse), but only a positive predictive value of 25%. In case of relapse suspicion there was a negative predictive value of 83% and a positive predictive value of 76% in PET. A good prognosis is possible to predict from negative PET follow up findings (relapse risk in regularly controls 7%, at relapse suspicion 17%), whereas the probability for a true relapse in positive PET follow up findings is only markedly increased in case of former relapse suspicion (relapse risk in regularly controls 25%, at relapse suspicion 82%). A prospective multicenter PET study should be realized to analyse systematically the value of PET diagnostics in staging and restaging examinations of children and adolescents with Hodgkin's disease, especially to validate the PET diagnostics in exclusion of vital tumor residuals.

The localizing value of ictal EEG in focal epilepsy

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the lateralization and localization of ictal EEG in focal epilepsy.

METHODS

A total of 486 ictal EEG of 72 patients with focal epilepsy arising from the mesial temporal, neocortical temporal, mesial frontal, dorsolateral frontal, parietal, and occipital regions were analyzed.

RESULTS

Surface ictal EEG was adequately localized in 72% of cases, more often in temporal than extratemporal epilepsy. Localized ictal onsets were seen in 57% of seizures and were most common in mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE), lateral frontal lobe epilepsy (LFLE), and parietal lobe epilepsy, whereas lateralized onsets predominated in neocortical temporal lobe epilepsy and generalized onsets in mesial frontal lobe epilepsy (MFLE) and occipital lobe epilepsy. Approximately two-thirds of seizures were localized, 22% generalized, 4% lateralized, and 6% mislocalized/lateralized. False localization/lateralization occurred in 28% of occipital and 16% of parietal seizures. Rhythmic temporal theta at ictal onset was seen exclusively in temporal lobe seizures, whereas localized repetitive epileptiform activity was highly predictive of LFLE. Seizures arising from the lateral convexity and mesial regions were differentiated by a high incidence of repetitive epileptiform activity at ictal onset in the former and rhythmic theta activity in the latter.

CONCLUSIONS

With the exception of mesial frontal lobe epilepsy, ictal recordings are very useful in the localization/lateralization of focal seizures. Some patterns are highly accurate in localizing the epileptogenic lobe. One limitation of ictal EEG is the potential for false localization/lateralization in occipital and parietal lobe epilepsies.

The localizing value of ictal EEG in focal epilepsy

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the lateralization and localization of ictal EEG in focal epilepsy.

METHODS

A total of 486 ictal EEG of 72 patients with focal epilepsy arising from the mesial temporal, neocortical temporal, mesial frontal, dorsolateral frontal, parietal, and occipital regions were analyzed.

RESULTS

Surface ictal EEG was adequately localized in 72% of cases, more often in temporal than extratemporal epilepsy. Localized ictal onsets were seen in 57% of seizures and were most common in mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE), lateral frontal lobe epilepsy (LFLE), and parietal lobe epilepsy, whereas lateralized onsets predominated in neocortical temporal lobe epilepsy and generalized onsets in mesial frontal lobe epilepsy (MFLE) and occipital lobe epilepsy. Approximately two-thirds of seizures were localized, 22% generalized, 4% lateralized, and 6% mislocalized/lateralized. False localization/lateralization occurred in 28% of occipital and 16% of parietal seizures. Rhythmic temporal theta at ictal onset was seen exclusively in temporal lobe seizures, whereas localized repetitive epileptiform activity was highly predictive of LFLE. Seizures arising from the lateral convexity and mesial regions were differentiated by a high incidence of repetitive epileptiform activity at ictal onset in the former and rhythmic theta activity in the latter.

CONCLUSIONS

With the exception of mesial frontal lobe epilepsy, ictal recordings are very useful in the localization/lateralization of focal seizures. Some patterns are highly accurate in localizing the epileptogenic lobe. One limitation of ictal EEG is the potential for false localization/lateralization in occipital and parietal lobe epilepsies.

Response-adapted radiotherapy in the treatment of pediatric Hodgkin's disease: an interim report at 5 years of the German GPOH-HD 95 trial

PURPOSE

A multinational trial on pediatric Hodgkin's disease (HD) with the aim to reduce the risk of long-term toxicity of combined modality treatment by restricting dose and volume of radiation therapy (RT) while maintaining the excellent treatment results of previous German multicenter trials (DAL-HD82-90).

METHODS AND MATERIALS

Patients were treated according to stage of disease (CS) and defined risk factors in three treatment groups (TG) with 2, 4, or 6 cycles of combination chemotherapy. When a complete remission (CR) had been achieved, treatment was terminated without RT independent of initial stage or tumor bulk. Patients with a partial remission (PR) of >75% tumor regression were irradiated with 20 Gy using modified involved fields; in the case of PR <75% RT dose was 30 Gy, residual masses >50 mL received 35 Gy.

RESULTS

From August 1995 to July 2000 a total of 956 patients have been registered, 830 as trial patients, 39% in TG1, 27% in TG2, 34% in TG3. 827 patients were evaluable by June 2001 with a median follow-up of 38 months. Chemotherapy (CTx) resulted in CR in 22%, PR >75% in 62%, PR <75% in 12%. Event-free survival (EFS) for the entire group is 90% (SD 0.01), for TG1 94%, TG2 91%, and TG3 84%; the overall survival is 97% in Kaplan-Meier-analysis. Relapse-free survival (RFS) is superior for patients with RT after PR (93%) than for those without RT after CR (89%); the difference is significant (p = 0.01) for advanced stages, however not in TG1. Seventy-two events were observed by June 2001: 28 progressions during the initial therapy or within the first 3 months, 38 relapses, 3 second malignancies, three fatal accidents or infections; 18 patients have died.

CONCLUSION

Treatment results of the GPOH-HD 95 trial are excellent thus far. The reduction of RT dose and volume in PR has not caused a significant impairment of overall and event-free survival in comparison to the previous German trials; however, failure rates are higher in advanced stages when RT is omitted after achieving a CR. It is too early to tell whether the HD 95 protocol will be successful in reducing late toxicity.

Presurgical evaluation of epilepsy

An overview of the following six cortical zones that have been defined in the presurgical evaluation of candidates for epilepsy surgery is given: the symptomatogenic zone; the irritative zone; the seizure onset zone; the epileptogenic lesion; the epileptogenic zone; and the eloquent cortex. The stepwise historical evolution of these different zones is described. The current diagnostic techniques used in the definition of these cortical zones, such as video-EEG monitoring, MRI and ictal single photon emission computed tomography, are discussed. Established diagnostic tests are set apart from procedures that should still be regarded as experimental, such as magnetoencephalography, dipole source localization and spike-triggered functional MRI. Possible future developments that might lead to a more direct definition of the epileptogenic zone are presented.

Painful auras in focal epilepsy

The authors studied the localizing or lateralizing value of painful epileptic auras in 25 patients with focal epilepsy. Painful auras were seen in 4.1% patients with focal epilepsy arising from temporal, frontal, perirolandic, or parieto-occipital regions. Abdominal pain was present in 5% of all abdominal auras in temporal lobe epilepsy and 50% of all abdominal auras in frontal lobe epilepsy. In perirolandic epilepsy, painful somatosensory auras were lateralized contralateral to the epileptic hemisphere but not consistently in temporal lobe epilepsy.

Temporal lobe epilepsy due to hippocampal sclerosis in pediatric candidates for epilepsy surgery

OBJECTIVE

To characterize the clinical, EEG, MRI, and histopathologic features and explore seizure outcome in pediatric candidates for epilepsy surgery who have temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) caused by hippocampal sclerosis (HS).

METHODS

The authors studied 17 children (4 to 12 years of age) and 17 adolescents (13 to 20 years of age) who had anteromesial temporal resection between 1990 and 1998.

RESULTS

All patients had seizures characterized by decreased awareness and responsiveness. Automatisms were typically mild to moderate in children and moderate to marked in adolescents. Among adolescents, interictal spikes were almost exclusively unilateral anterior temporal, as opposed to children in whom anterior temporal spikes were associated with mid/posterior temporal, bilateral temporal, extratemporal, or generalized spikes in 60% of cases. MRI showed hippocampal sclerosis on the side of EEG seizure onset in all patients. Fifty-four percent of children and 56% of adolescents had significant asymmetry of total hippocampal volumes, whereas the remaining patients had only focal atrophy of the hippocampal head or body. Subtle MRI abnormalities of ipsilateral temporal neocortex were seen in all children and 60% of adolescents studied with FLAIR images. On histopathology, there was an unexpectedly high frequency of dual pathology with mild to moderate cortical dysplasia as well as HS, seen in 79% of children and adolescents. Seventy-eight percent of patients were free of seizures at follow-up (mean, 2.6 years). A tendency for lower seizure-free outcome was observed in patients with bilateral temporal interictal sharp waves or bilateral HS on MRI. The presence of dual pathology did not portend poor postsurgical outcome.

CONCLUSIONS

TLE caused by HS similar to those in adults were seen in children as young as 4 years of age. Focal hippocampal atrophy seen on MRI often was not reflected in total hippocampal volumetry. Children may have an especially high frequency of dual pathology, with mild to moderate cortical dysplasia as well as HS, and MRI usually, but not always, predicts this finding. Postsurgical seizure outcome is similar to that in adult series.

Seizure outcome after surgery for epilepsy due to malformation of cortical development

PURPOSE

To explore seizure outcome after surgery for focal epilepsy due to malformation of cortical development (MCD), with focus on the role of MRI.

METHODS

Thirty-five patients who had surgery for intractable focal epilepsy due to MCD identified by preoperative MRI and confirmed by histopathologic analysis of resected tissue were studied. Patients were aged 3 months to 47 years (median, 14 years) at the time of surgery. Duration of follow-up was 1 to 7.9 (mean, 3.4) years.

RESULTS

At latest follow-up, 17 patients (49%) had Engel Class I outcome with no seizures or auras only; eight patients (23%) had Class II outcome, with rare disabling seizures; seven patients (20%) had worthwhile improvement; and three patients (9%) had no improvement. Seizure-free outcome tended to be more frequent among patients who had complete resection of unilateral MCD (excluding hemimegalencephaly) based on postoperative MRI (7/12; 58%), compared with patients with unilateral MCD who had incomplete resection (3/11; 27%), but the difference was not significant. The frequency of seizure-free outcome did not differ significantly between children (8/14; 57%), adolescents (7/15; 47%) or adults (2/6; 33%); between patients who had daily (12/24; 50%), weekly (4/9; 44%), or monthly (1/2; 50%) seizures preoperatively; between patients who had temporal (2/6; 33%) or extratemporal or multilobar resections (14/28; 50%); or between patients who were (9/16; 56%) or were not (8/19; 42%) studied with subdural electrodes. Results for all analyses were similar when analyzed at latest available follow-up or at 1 year after surgery.

CONCLUSIONS

Surgery can offer seizure-free outcome for approximately one half of carefully selected patients with intractable focal epilepsy due to MCD. Complete resection of the MRI-apparent lesion may improve the likelihood for favorable outcome. MRI evidence of hemimegalencephaly or bilateral MCD suggests a low likelihood for postoperative freedom from seizures.

A new epileptic seizure classification based exclusively on ictal semiology

Historically, seizure semiology was the main feature in the differential diagnosis of epileptic syndromes. With the development of clinical EEG, the definition of electroclinical complexes became an essential tool to define epileptic syndromes, particularly focal epileptic syndromes. Modern advances in diagnostic technology, particularly in neuroimaging and molecular biology, now permit better definitions of epileptic syndromes. At the same time detailed studies showed that there does not necessarily exist a one-to-one relationship between epileptic seizures or electroclinical complexes and epileptic syndromes. These developments call for the reintroduction of an epileptic seizure classification based exclusively on clinical semiology, similar to the seizure classifications which were used by neurologists before the introduction of the modern diagnostic methods. This classification of epileptic seizures should always be complemented by an epileptic syndrome classification based on all the available clinical information (clinical history, neurological exam, ictal semiology, EEG, anatomical and functional neuroimaging, etc.). Such an approach is more consistent with mainstream clinical neurology and would avoid the current confusion between the classification of epileptic seizures (which in the International Seizure Classification is actually a classification of electroclinical complexes) and the classification of epileptic syndromes.