The World Health Organization classification of hematological malignancies report of the Clinical Advisory Committee Meeting, Airlie House, Virginia, November 1997

[Primary colorectal lymphomas]

BACKGROUND/AIM

Colorectal lymphoma is a rare tumor representing 1.4% of human lymphomas, 10-20% of gastrointestinal lymphomas, namely 0.2-0.6% of all malignancies in the colon. The aim of this study was to review clinical characteristics of primary colorectal lymphoma and overall survival.

METHODS

A detailed analysis of 16 surgically treated patients included patients age, symptoms and signs, tumor site, type of surgery, histopathologic findings, diagnosis of the disease, disease stage, type of surgery related to the degreee of emergency (elective or urgent), applied adjuvant therapy, patient follow-up and treatment outcomes. Survival was expressed by the Kaplan-Meier curve, while the difference in survival among the two groups by the Log-rank test.

RESULTS

The all patients were on an average followed-up for a median of 29 months (range 2-60 months), while those with chemotherapy 48 months (range 4-60 months). An overall mean survival time was 38.65 months.

CONCLUSION

Primary colorectal lymphoma is a rare malignant tumor of the large bowel. Therapy usually involves resection of the affected colon or rectum and regional lymphovascular structures, followed by adjuvant therapy. Survival period is short and, therefore, timely diagnosis is crucial in early disease stages when the probability of cure is high.

Genetically engineered attenuated measles virus specifically infects and kills primary multiple myeloma cells

The applicability of cytoreductive treatment of malignant diseases using recombinant viruses strongly depends on specific recognition of surface receptors to target exclusively neoplastic cells. A recently generated monoclonal antibody (mAb), Wue-1, specifically detects CD138(+) multiple myeloma (MM) cells. In this study, a haemagglutinin (H) protein that was receptor-blinded (i.e. did not bind to CD46 and CD150) was genetically re-engineered by fusing it to a single-chain antibody fragment (scFv) derived from the Wue-1 mAb open reading frame (scFv-Wue), resulting in the recombinant retargeted measles virus (MV)-Wue. MV-Wue efficiently targeted and fully replicated in primary MM cells, reaching titres similar to those seen with non-retargeted viruses. In agreement with its altered receptor specificity, infection of target cells was no longer dependent on CD150 or CD46, but was restricted to cells that had been labelled with Wue-1 mAb. Importantly, infection with MV-Wue rapidly induced apoptosis in CD138(+) malignant plasma cell targets. MV-Wue is the first fully retargeted MV using the restricted interaction between Wue-1 mAb and primary MM cells specifically to infect, replicate in and deplete malignant plasma cells.

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma with coexpression of CD3 in a pediatric patient: a case report, review of the literature, and tissue microarray study

The aberrant expression of T-cell antigens on B-cell-derived non-Hodgkin lymphomas has been described. However, the expression of the lineage-specific T-cell antigen, CD3, in hematologic malignancies is exceedingly rare and to the best of our knowledge has not been reported in pediatric patients. Here we describe the first case of a CD3+ diffuse large B-cell lymphoma in a 9-year-old male patient that is well documented by immunohistochemistry. In addition, results of a tissue microarray study composed of B-cell-derived non-Hodgkin lymphomas (n=77) and reactive lymphoid hyperplasia (n=13) dual stained for PAX5/CD3 are also reported.

AML transformation in 56 patients with Ph- MPD in two well defined populations

The Philadelphia chromosome-negative (Ph-) chronic myeloproliferative disorders (MPD) have an inherent tendency for transformation into acute myelogenous leukaemia (AML). The long-term rate of leukaemic transformation in unselected MPD patients was studied in well-defined MPD populations in Gothenburg, Sweden and the Côte d'Or area, Burgundy, France, respectively. Over a median observation time of 15 yr, 56 subjects (7%) out of a total of 795 patients with Ph- MPD transformed to AML. The yearly incidence of AML transformation was 0.38% in polycythaemia vera (PV), 0.37% in essential thrombocythaemia (ET) and 1.09% in idiopathic myelofibrosis (IMF). The incidence of AML development was significantly higher in IMF as compared with both PV and ET (P = 0.002 and P = 0.02, respectively). Six of the patients who developed AML had never been treated with cytoreductive agents and two had only been exposed to interferon. In IMF, the average time from diagnosis to AML transformation was 42 +/- 33 months, which was significantly shorter than for both PV and ET (88 +/- 56 and 76 +/- 57 months; P = 0.0075 and P = 0.027, respectively). The time from diagnosis to AML transformation appears to be a continuous event as regards all three MPD entities. It was shown that 17 out of the 18 patients with PV who developed AML were females; this was true despite the fact that the male/female ratio for the whole PV group was 146/171 (0.85). As regards ET and IMF patients who transformed to AML, the gender ratio showed slight male predominance (1.33 and 1.13, respectively). The average survival time for the 56 MPD patients who developed AML was 4.6 +/- 5.5 (range 0-28) months and did not differ with respect to the three subtypes of pre-AML MPD.

Non-Hodgkin's lymphomas of the large bowel-clinical characteristics, prognostic factors and survival

The aims of this study were to review the clinical presentation of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas of the large bowel, to analyze the prognostic factors using univariate and multivariate methods, as well as the overall survival. We identified 24 cases at our clinic between 1991 and 2005, based on pathohistological analysis and standard diagnostic criteria established by Dawson et al. They accounted for 1.2% of all cases of the large bowel malignancies (24/2021) during this period. The following clinical information such as age, gender, symptoms, tumor localization, operation performed, histology grade, stage of disease, and adjuvant chemotherapy was obtained. Survival function was expressed by Kaplan-Meier curve and Log-rank test was performed for the difference in survival between two patient groups. Multivariate analysis was carried out using the Cox proportional hazard model. Overall mean survival time was 41.91 months. According to the univariete analysis, the factors influencing overall survival rate was operation type (elective and emergent). Tumor stage and operation type were independent prognostic factors for survival, as determined by multivariate analysis. Our results showed that tumor stage and operation type should be considered as the most important prognostic factors in patients with primary non-Hodgkin's lymphomas of the large bowel.

Prognostic significance of cellular vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression in the course of chronic myeloid leukaemia

Introduction. Increased angiogenesis in bone marrow is one of the characteristics of chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML), a clonal myeloproliferative disorder that expresses a chimeric bcr/abl protein. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is one of the most potent and a specific regulator of angiogenesis which principally targets endothelial cells and regulates several of their functions, including mitogenesis, permeability and migration. The impact of elevated VEGF expression on the course of chronic myeloid leukaemia is unknown. Objective. The aim of this study was the follow-up of VEGF expression during the course of CML. Methods. We studied VEGF expression of 85 CML patients (median age 50 years, range 16-75 years). At the commencement of the study, 29 patients were in chronic phase (CP), 25 in an accelerated phase (AP), and 31 in the blast crisis (BC). The temporal expression (percentage positivity per 1000 analysed cells) VEGF proteins over the course of CML were studied using the immunohistochemical technique utilizing relevant monoclonal antibodies. It was correlated with the laboratory (Hb, WBC and platelet counts, and the percentage of blasts) and clinical parameters (organomegaly, duration of CP, AP, and BC) of disease progression. Results. The expression of VEGF protein was most pronounced in AP (ANOVA, p=0.033). The level of VEGF expression correlated inversely with the degree of splenomegaly (Pearson, r=-0.400, p=0.011). High expression of VEGF correlated with a shorter overall survival (log rank, p=0.042). Conclusion. Immunohistochemically confirmed significance of the expression of VEGF in dependence of the CML stage could be of clinical importance in deciding on the timing therapy. These data suggest that VEGF plays a role in the biology of CML and that VEGF inhibitors should be investigated in CML.

Refractory nodular lymphocyte predominant Hodgkin lymphoma transformed to T-cell/histiocyte-rich B-cell lymphoma in an adolescent: salvage therapy with allogeneic bone marrow transplantation

According to biologic features, there is a substantial "gray zone" between nodular lymphocyte predominant Hodgkin lymphomas (NLPHLs) (Poppema lymphomas) and T-cell/histiocyte-rich B-cell lymphomas (T/HRBCLs). Transformation from an NLPHL to a T/HRBCL can occur and is associated with a worsening of the prognosis. Here is described a case of a 16-year-old boy who presented with an NLPHL with features of T/HRBCL. Clinical evolution was complicated by 2 relapses leading to autologous and then to allogeneic bone marrow transplantation.

Primary non-Hodgkin's breast lymphoma: Surgical approach

We report the case of a 38-year old woman affected by primary lymphoma of the right breast, with disease progression after chemotherapy and subsequent radiotherapy, successfully treated with a modified radical mastectomy. The literature of primary breast lymphomas has been reviewed and discussed in relation to our case. Our experience stresses the importance of a radical surgical approach in a locally advanced non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the breast unresponsive to radio and chemotherapy.

CD8+, CD56+ (natural killer-like) T-cell lymphoma involving the small intestine with no evidence of enteropathy: clinicopathology and molecular study of five Japanese patients

The present study reports five CD8+, CD56+ (natural killer (NK)-like) T-cell lymphomas involving the small intestine without evidence of enteropathy, from Japan. Three were intestinal T-cell lymphoma. The site of origin of the other two was not definitive. Four of five patients underwent emergency operation because of intestinal perforation. The small intestines of these patients had multiple ulcerative lesions with or without demarcated tumors. Histologically, the lymphoma cells were monomorphic or slightly pleomorphic and displayed epitheliotropism of varying degrees. Lymphoma cells of all patients shared the common phenotype: CD3+, CD4-, CD5-, CD8+, CD56+, CD57-, T-cell intracellular antigen-1+, granzyme B+. In contrast to nasal/nasal type NK-cell lymphomas, they had clonal rearrangement of T-cell receptor(TCR) genes and were negative for EBV-encoded RNA. Immunohistochemistry and genetics suggested that three cases were of alpha beta T-cell origin and two cases were of gamma delta T-cell origin. There was no evidence of enteropathy in any patient. The cases followed a clinically aggressive course with a frequent involvement of lung. According to the classification based on the recent genetic studies of European enteropathy-type intestinal T-cell lymphoma (ETL), the present cases could be classified as type 2 ETL.

Results of a Phase II trial of gemcitabine, mitoxantrone, and rituximab in relapsed or refractory mantle cell lymphoma

BACKGROUND

Gemcitabine (G) has shown activity in mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) as a single agent. The combination of mitoxantrone (M) and rituximab (R) is also active in MCL. The primary objective of this study was to determine the efficacy of G+M+R in relapsed or refractory MCL.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Sixteen patients were enrolled between April 2005 and January 2007, 88% had Stage IV MCL, Median patient age was 74 years. Patients received gemcitabine 900 mg/m(2) IV (30-60 min infusion) on Days 1 and 8, mitoxantrone 10 mg/m(2) IV (5-10 min infusion) on day 1, and rituximab 375 mg/m(2) IV on Day 1 (max 400 mg/hour) of the 21-day cycle. Patients received a median of 6 cycles (range, 1-8).

RESULTS

Best responses were CR 20% (95%CI, 0, 40.2), PR 27% (95%CI, 4.3, 49.1), SD 40% (95%CI, 15.2, 64.8), and PD 13% (95%CI, 0, 30.5). Median survival and PFS have not been reached with a median follow-up of 10.7 months. The most common Grade 3-4 toxicities were neutropenia (100%), thrombocytopenia (67%), leukopenia (53%), and anemia (33%). The study was closed early due to slow accrual owing to an alternative treatment which became available at the time.

CONCLUSION

The combination of G+M+R in MCL was well-tolerated with manageable toxicity using growth factors to minimize neutropenia; further studies are warranted.

Significance of CXCR3 expression in gastric low-grade B-cell lymphoma of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue type for predicting responsiveness to Helicobacter pylori eradication

Gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma is a distinct low-grade lymphoma that often regresses upon Helicobacter pylori eradication. It was reported that the chemokine receptor CXCR3 is expressed not only on activated T cells, but also on MALT lymphoma cells, and that CXCR3-positive B lymphocytes migrate or home to the MALT of MALT lymphoma. In the present study, we aimed to elucidate the correlation between CXCR3 expression and the clinicopathological features of gastric MALT lymphoma, and to determine whether CXCR3 expression was predictive of responsiveness to H. pylori eradication. Sixty-seven patients with gastric MALT lymphoma in a single-center study were treated with H. pylori eradication therapy. We evaluated the correlation of CXCR3 expression with response to H. pylori eradication therapy by logistic regression stratified according to potential confounders. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that 28 of 67 cases (42%) were positive for CXCR3 expression. CXCR3 expression was significantly more prevalent in those without H. pylori infection, advanced-stage disease, and in those with API2-MALT1 fusion. In overall analysis, those with CXCR3 expression showed a significantly increased risk of non-responsiveness to H. pylori eradication therapy (odds ratio = 28.6; 95% confidence interval 5.70-143.4) compared to those without CXCR3 expression. This higher risk was observed consistently regardless of sex, API2-MALT1 fusion, H. pylori infection, or clinical stage. We showed that CXCR3 expression was an independent predictive factor for non-responsiveness to H. pylori eradication therapy in patients with gastric MALT lymphoma.

Acute myelomonocytic leukaemia with short-term spontaneous remission in a cat

A 2-year-old, spayed female domestic shorthair cat was referred with a history of anorexia and depression of 1 week duration. On physical examination, the cat was lethargic and febrile, with splenomegaly, anisocoria and ulcerative stomatitis. A complete blood count (CBC) and a biochemistry profile showed leukocytosis, numerous blast cells in the peripheral blood, thrombocytopenia, hyperglobulinaemia and a positive test for feline leukaemia virus antigen. A diagnosis of acute myelomonocytic leukaemia was made on the basis of the results of bone marrow cytology, histopathology, and immunochemistry (CD3, CD79a, lysozyme, and myeloperoxidase) tests. Following an unexpected 1-month period of clinical and clinicopathological remission without chemotherapy, the cat relapsed and died 1 week later.

An extranodal NK/T cell lymphoma, nasal type, with specific immunophenotypic and genotypic features

Extranodal NK/T cell lymphoma, 'nasal type,' is a rare clinicopathological entity in Europe. The main clinical features are nasal congestion, sore throat, dysphagia and epistaxis, due to a destructive mass involving the midline facial tissues. Pathologically, lymphoma cells exhibit angioinvasion, angiodestruction and coagulative necrosis. We report the case of a patient who presented with fever, dyspnea, nasal congestion, headache, distention of right nasal turbinates and exophytic lower leg ulcerating lesions. A CT scan of visceral scull demonstrated a filling mass of right frontal, ethmoidal and maxillary sinuses with erosion of the wall of right maxillary sinus and ventral portion of the diaphragm. A biopsy was performed in the skin lesion and showed an angioinvasive NK/T cell lymphoma CD56 negative with clonal rearrangement of the T-cell-receptor gamma gene. Up to our knowledge, this is a rare immunophenotype for NK/T-cell, 'nasal type,' lymphomas. However, the lymphoma may be classified as extranodal NK/T cell lymphoma, 'nasal type,' due to typical clinical presentation, radiologic findings and pathological characteristics of polymorphism, angioinvasion, angiodestruction and coagulative necrosis.

Formaldehyde exposure and leukemia: a new meta-analysis and potential mechanisms

Formaldehyde is an economically important chemical, to which more than 2 million U.S. workers are occupationally exposed. Substantially more people are exposed to formaldehyde environmentally, as it is generated by automobile engines, is a component of tobacco smoke and is released from household products, including furniture, particleboard, plywood, and carpeting. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) recently classified formaldehyde as a human carcinogen that causes nasopharyngeal cancer and also concluded that there is "strong but not sufficient evidence for a causal association between leukemia and occupational exposure to formaldehyde". Here, we review the epidemiological studies published to date on formaldehyde-exposed workers and professionals in relation to lymphohematopoietic malignances. In a new meta-analysis of these studies, focusing on occupations known to have high formaldehyde exposure, we show that summary relative risks (RRs) were elevated in 15 studies of leukemia (RR=1.54; confidence interval (CI), 1.18-2.00) with the highest relative risks seen in the six studies of myeloid leukemia (RR=1.90; 95% CI, 1.31-2.76). The biological plausibility of this observed association is discussed and potential mechanisms proposed. We hypothesize that formaldehyde may act on bone marrow directly or, alternatively, may cause leukemia by damaging the hematopoietic stem or early progenitor cells that are located in the circulating blood or nasal passages, which then travel to the bone marrow and become leukemic stem cells. To test these hypotheses, we recommend that future studies apply biomarkers validated for other chemical leukemogens to the study of formaldehyde.

[Primary non-Hodgkin lymphoma of the uterine corpus. Case report and review of the literature]

We report a case of primary nonHodgkin lymphoma (NHL) of the uterine corpus, diagnosed by endometrial biopsy, in a 60-year-old patient suffering from uterine bleeding. Pathological analysis had concluded to diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Further staging had not revealed other nodal or extranodal localization (Ann Arbor stage IE) and there were no signs of recurrence during follow-up. Therefore, the diagnostic criteria for true primary NHL of the uterine corpus were met. This localization is extremely rare since only six cases have previously been published. The patient was successfully treated by an immunochemotherapy combining rituximab-CHOP and rituximab-VCAP. After 28 months of follow-up, she is free from the disease. A review of the literature regarding these exceptional tumors is undertaken.

Chronic autoimmune thyroiditis (Hashimoto's thyroiditis) in patients with MALT lymphoma

BACKGROUND

Autoimmune diseases have been implicated in the genesis of MALT lymphoma of various localizations. The development of thyroidal MALT lymphoma has been described as an adverse event in patients suffering from long-standing chronic autoimmune thyroiditis (CAT, Hashimoto's thyroiditis). The percentage and possible association between CAT and extrathyroidal MALT lymphoma, however, have not been assessed so far.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A retrospective analysis of 80 patients with MALT lymphoma diagnosed and treated at our institution identified a total of 13 patients (16%) with MALT lymphoma suffering from an underlying CAT. Patient characteristics including site of disease, stage, genetic changes and clinical course were assessed and evaluated.

RESULTS

In total, 10 patients were female and 3 male, with the median age being 57 years (range: 31-80). Four patients suffered from thyroidal lymphoma and nine patients had extrathyroidal lymphoma (four gastric, two orbital, one small intestinal and two salivary gland lymphomas). Three patients had a long-standing history of CAT at diagnosis of MALT lymphoma, while CAT was discovered during staging and clinical work-up of MALT lymphoma in the remaining 10 patients. All 13 patients had localized disease, i.e. stage I or II. Only one of the four patients with gastric MALT lymphoma responded to antibiotic treatment against Helicobacter pylori infection. Genetic aberrations were detected in four patients, two of whom had a t(11;18)(q21;q21) translocation, one patient had trisomies 3 and 18 and one had trisomy 18.

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest that CAT is found in patients with not only thyroidal but also nonthyroidal MALT lymphoma. While the nature of our data does not allow for delineation of a direct association between CAT and development of extrathyroidal MALT lymphoma, further prospective studies on this issue are warranted.

Nuclear expression of the non–B-cell lineage Sox11 transcription factor identifies mantle cell lymphoma

Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is defined pathologically by the detection of CD20, CD5, and most importantly cyclin D1 (CCND1). Its distinction from other lymphomas is important for prognosis and appropriate therapy, but occasional cases may fail to express CCND1 and morphologic simulators may express CD20 and CD5 but not CD23. In this study, we show that the transcription factor Sox11 is specifically expressed in the nucleus of MCL compared with other lymphomas and benign lymphoid tissue. Although the role of Sox11 presently is not known in lymphocyte ontogeny, it is normally expressed in the developing central nervous system in the embryo and shows sequence homology with Sox4, a transcription factor crucial for B lymphopoiesis. Sox11 mRNA is increased in gliomas compared with healthy brain tissue, suggesting a role in malignant transformation and/or cell survival. Our novel finding of specific overexpression of Sox11 mRNA and nuclear protein in both cyclin D1–positive and – negative MCL may be useful for the diagnosis of MCL as a complement to cyclin D1 and also suggests a functional role for Sox11 in MCL.

Stem cell transplantation for pediatric lymphoma: past, present and future

Lymphoma is the third most common cancer in children < or =15 years of age. The prognosis for children with newly diagnosed chemosensitive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) and Hodgkin's disease (HD) has improved significantly. However, in children with relapsed and refractory NHL, the prognosis is not as promising and the best treatment approach for this poor risk group continues to be a challenge. Between 25 and 30% of patients with advanced stage HD still relapse and in subsets of this group, the outcome is dismal. Aggressive chemotherapy followed by autologous bone marrow transplantation has been used with some improvement in survival. Some centers have investigated allogeneic stem cell transplantation in pediatric patients with recurrent/relapsed lymphoma. There is little consistency in therapeutic approaches and there is no formal recommendation on the best approach for this poor prognostic subgroup. We illustrate the reported pediatric experience of transplantation for lymphoma and discuss how the results from these trials are influencing how we approach the treatment in certain subgroups of pediatric patients with relapsed/refractory lymphoma.

Oral Hodgkin lymphoma: a wolf in wolf's clothing

Hodgkin lymphoma typically presents as a nodal lesion and infrequently involves extranodal sites. The English language literature contains only 7 reports of primary Hodgkin lymphoma arising in the oral mucosa in the absence of nodal disease. We report a case of primary, extranodal Hodgkin lymphoma in the palatal mucosa of a 79-year-old white female. An incisional biopsy revealed a diffuse, mixed cellular infiltrate, consisting of benign lymphocytes, plasma cells, histiocytes, and foci rich in eosinophils. Within this background was a scattering of large, atypical cells, including Reed-Sternberg forms that exhibited immunoreactivity for CD30 and CD20 and nonreactivity for CD15 and CD45RO, supporting a diagnosis of classical Hodgkin lymphoma. Positron emission tomography exhibited a single focal area of abnormal hypermetabolic activity involving the left palate area, without involvement of any other site. The clinical stage was Ann Arbor I-A. The primary tumor and submandibular and upper neck lymph nodes were treated with a 6-MV photon beam to a total dose of 4000 cGy. There was no evidence of disease at 15-month follow-up.

Primary colorectal lymphomas: review of the literature

Primary colorectal lymphoma is an infrequent disease of unknown origin and with a growing incidence. Primary colorectal lymphoma accounts for only about 0.2% of large intestinal malignancies. The aim of this study is to review, identify and underline risk factors, presentation, treatment and prognosis of primary colorectal lymphoma, using the three most important studies made in the last years: the Chung-Wei Fan study from the division of colon and rectal surgery, in Taipei [Fan CW, Changchien CR, Wang JY. Primary colorectal lymphoma. Disease of the Colon and Rectum 2000;43:1277-82]; the Wong and Eu [Primary colorectal lymphomas. Colorectal Diseases 2006;8:586-91] study from the Department of colorectal surgery in Singapore and the study of Doolabh et al. [Primary colon lymphoma. Journal of Surgical Oncology 2000;74:257-62] University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Dallas, Texas.

The expanding role of rituximab and radioimmunotherapy in the treatment of B-cell lymphomas

The role of rituximab in the treatment of B-cell lymphomas has rapidly emerged from the relapsed setting to first-line combination regimens across the broad range of histologic subtypes. The role of maintenance rituximab in indolent lymphomas after first-line therapy needs to be defined along with the integration of radioimmunotherapy into the first-line therapeutic regimens. As mechanisms of action/resistance to monoclonal antibody therapy are better understood, approaches to predicting response and optimizing combination therapy to overcoming primary and acquired resistance may be developed.

Expression of the GPI-anchored receptor Prv-1 enhances thrombopoietin and IL-3-induced proliferation in hematopoietic cell lines

Prv-1 is a hematopoietic cell surface receptor that has been shown to be overexpressed in patients diagnosed with polycythemia vera (PV) and essential thrombocythemia (ET), yet its cellular function remains unclear. In this study, we assessed the role of Prv-1 in thrombopoietin (Tpo)/Mpl signaling with the goal of identifying molecular mechanisms which augment Tpo-induced proliferation. By engineering the cytokine-dependent hematopoietic cell line BaF3 to express both Prv-1 and wild-type or mutant forms of Mpl, we were able to follow the time course of Tpo-dependent proliferation. We report that the overexpression of Prv-1 increased Tpo as well as IL-3-induced proliferation of BaF3/Mpl and BaF3 cells. Cells co-expressing Prv-1 and an Mpl receptor containing a Box 1 motif mutation, which fails to activate Jak2, was completely deficient in Tpo-dependent proliferation. In addition, BaF3 and BaF3/Prv-1 cells stimulated with IL-3 in the presence of the Jak2 inhibitor, AG490, abrogated the proliferative response, indicating that Prv-1 requires a functional Jak2 for its signaling activities. Western blot analysis showed an increase in Tpo and IL-3-induced Stat3 and Stat5 tyrosine phosphorylation in BaF3/Mpl and BaF3 cells expressing Prv-1. These results indicate a novel function for Prv-1 as a signaling molecule in cytokine signaling cascades and may lead to a greater understanding of the mechanism of overexpression of Prv-1 in myeloproliferative disorders.

Predictive factors of response and survival in myelodysplastic syndrome treated with erythropoietin and G-CSF: the GFM experience

We analyzed prognostic factors of response, response duration, and possible impact on survival of epoetin alpha, epoetin beta, or darbepoetin alpha (DAR) with or without granulocyte colony-stimulating factor in 403 myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) patients. Sixty-two percent (40% major and 22% minor) and 50% erythroid responses were seen, and median response duration was 20 and 24 months according to IWG 2000 and 2006 criteria, respectively. Significantly higher response rates were observed with less than 10% blasts, low and int-1 International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS), red blood cell transfusion independence, serum EPO level less than 200 IU/L, and, with IWG 2006 criteria only, shorter interval between diagnosis and treatment. Significantly longer response duration was associated with major response (IWG 2000 criteria), IPSS low to INT-1, blasts less than 5%, and absence of multilineage dysplasia. Minor responses according to IWG 2000 were reclassified as "nonresponders" or "responders" according to IWG 2006 criteria. However, among those IWG 2000 minor responders, response duration did not differ between IWG 2006 responders and nonresponders. Multivariate adjusted comparisons of survival between our cohort and the untreated MDS cohort used to design IPSS showed similar rate of progression to acute myeloid leukemia in both cohorts, but significantly better overall survival in our cohort, suggesting that epoetin or DAR treatment may have a favorable survival impact in MDS.

Primary effusion lymphoma: a series of 4 cases and review of the literature with emphasis on cytomorphologic and immunocytochemical differential diagnosis

BACKGROUND

Primary effusion lymphoma (PEL) is a human herpes virus-8 (HHV-8)-associated and very rare type of lymphoma usually confined to the body cavities and commonly observed in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients. A comparison was made between the cytologic and immunocytochemical features of 4 cases of PEL encountered in the authors' department with those reported to date in the literature.

METHODS

A comprehensive comparison of the cytologic and immunocytochemical features of the 4 cases with those reported in the literature was conducted.

RESULTS

Cytologically, the most consistent features of the 4 cases and those in the literature included large cell size, moderate to abundant cytoplasm, a single nucleus in most cells with occasional bi- or multinucleated giant cells, single to multiple prominent nucleoli, and coarse chromatin. Immunocytochemically, only 2 (50%) of the current cases were of the null-phenotype compared with 93% of cases in the literature; the other 2 cases had a T-cell phenotype. Activation markers were expressed in 50% and 78% of the current cases and the literature cases, respectively. Positivity for HHV-8 was proven in the 4 cases by immunocytochemistry.

CONCLUSIONS

Cytomorphologically, PEL exhibits features bridging large cell immunoblastic and anaplastic large cell lymphoma. Although it is usually of null-phenotype, it may occasionally express B-cell or T-cell markers, rendering its distinction difficult from other lymphomatous effusions on a cytologic and immunocytochemical basis alone. Therefore, HHV-8 detection is an essential confirmatory ancillary test in suspected cases of PEL.

Increased risk of acute myeloid leukaemia due to polymorphisms in detoxification and DNA repair enzymes

BACKGROUND

Polymorphisms in genes involved in detoxification and DNA-repair pathways may modify the individual's risk for genomic damage, and, as a consequence, the risk of developing malignant diseases.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We performed a case-control study including 160 cases of acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) and 162 matched controls to test the impact of six genomic polymorphisms on the risk to develop AML and/or therapy-related AML.

RESULTS

We found a significantly higher prevalence of the polymorphic variants RAD51-G135C and CYP3A4-A-290G genes in AML cases, when compared with controls (P = 0.02 and P = 0.04), increasing the risk of AML 2.1-folds (95% CI: 1.1-4.0) and 3.2-fold (95% CI: 1.1-11.5), respectively. Carriers of both the RAD51-G135C and CYP3A4-A-290G variants were at highest AML risk (P = 0.003; OR:13,6; 95% CI: 2.0-585.5), suggesting a synergistic effect between these polymorphisms.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that polymorphic variants in DNA-repair and detoxification enzymes may co-operate in modulating the individual's risk of AML.

Age-related EBV-associated B-cell lymphoproliferative disorders constitute a distinct clinicopathologic group: a study of 96 patients

PURPOSE

We have recently reported EBV+ B-cell lymphoproliferative disorders (LPD) occurring predominantly in elderly patients, which shared features of EBV+ B-cell neoplasms arising in the immunologically deteriorated patients despite no predisposing immunodeficiency and were named as senile or age-related EBV+ B-cell LPDs. To further characterize this disease, age-related EBV+ B-cell LPDs were compared with EBV-negative diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (DLBCL).

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN

Among 1,792 large B-cell LPD cases, 96 EBV+ cases with available clinical data set were enrolled for the present study. For the control group, 107 patients aged over 40 years with EBV-negative DLBCL were selected. We compared clinicopathologic data between two groups and determined prognostic factors by univariate and multivariate analysis.

RESULTS

Patients with age-related EBV+ B-cell LPDs showed a higher age distribution and aggressive clinical features or parameters than EBV-negative DLBCLs: 44% with performance status >1, 58% with serum lactate dehydrogenase level higher than normal, 49% with B symptoms, and higher involvement of skin and lung. Overall survival was thus significantly inferior in age-related EBV+ group than in DLBCLs. Univariate and multivariate analyses further identified two factors, B symptoms and age older than 70 years, independently predictive for survival. A prognostic model using these two variables well defined three risk groups: low risk (no adverse factors), intermediate risk (one factor), and high risk (two factors).

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that age-related EBV+ B-cell LPDs constitute a distinct group, and innovative therapeutic strategies such as EBV-targeted T-cell therapy should be developed for this uncommon disease.

Therapy of gastric mucosa associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma

Gastric mucosa associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma has recently been incorporated into the World Health Organization (WHO) lymphoma classification, termed as extranodal marginal zone B-cell lymphoma of MALT-type. In about 90% of cases this lymphoma is associated with H pylori infection which has been clearly shown to play a causative role in lymphomagenesis. Although much knowledge has been gained in defining the clinical features, natural history, pathology, and molecular genetics of the disease in the last decade, the optimal treatment approach for gastric MALT lymphomas, especially locally advanced cases, is still evolving. In this review we focus on data for the therapeutic, stage dependent management of gastric MALT lymphoma. Hence, the role of eradication therapy, surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy is critically analyzed. Based on these data, we suggest a therapeutic algorithm that might help to better stratify patients for optimal treatment success.

Clinical usefulness of serum EBV DNA levels of BamHI W and LMP1 for Nasal NK/T-cell lymphoma

Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was utilized to measure serum EBV DNA levels of BamHI W fragment and latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1) in 20 nasal natural killer (NK)/T-cell lymphoma patients. Both serum EBV DNAs were detected at high levels in all patients, but the levels were below the limit of detection in all healthy controls. The BamHI Z fragment, Epstein-Barr-replication activator (ZEBRA) expression was detected in a small proportion (0.1-3%) of lymphoma cells from 10 (50%) of the patients. Patients with ZEBRA expression showed significantly higher DNA levels of BamHI W and LMP1 (P = 0.0081, P = 0.004), suggesting that EBV DNA may be caused by EBV replication from lymphoma cells. Kaplan-Meier and univariate analyses revealed that high DNA levels of BamHI W and LMP1 at pre-treatment and high BamHI W DNA level at post-treatment were associated with short disease-free survival and overall survival (P < 0.05, each). Although the DNA levels of BamHI W and LMP1 correlated significantly, their dynamics were not always parallel. Patients with low pre-treatment level of both EBV DNAs showed a favorable course, in contrast to patients with high pre-treatment level of both EBV DNAs who showed an aggressive course (P = 0.0085). More importantly, the high pre-treatment level of both EBV DNAs was determined as the only independent prognostic factor among various prognostic factors. These data suggest that simultaneous measurement of serum levels of both BamHI W and LMP1 DNAs may be useful for diagnosis, disease monitoring, and prediction of prognosis for nasal NK/T-cell lymphoma patients.

Therapy of gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma

Mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma is a relatively common lymphoma and comprises approximately 7% of all newly diagnosed non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. It is mainly located in the stomach and has become a focus of interest due to its unique pathophysiological link with Helicobacter pylori (HP) and the consecutive response to HP eradication therapy. In view of this, HP eradication has become standard treatment for patients with localised disease, and recent data have suggested that HP-negative patients might benefit from antibiotic treatment. In case of non-response, however, the standard approach in such patients is unclear. Both radiation and chemotherapy have shown promising results, and at present there is only one randomised study, which nevertheless suggests chemotherapy as management of choice. The objective of this review is, therefore, to summarise and evaluate the data available for treatment of gastric MALT lymphoma and to highlight potential focus for further research.

MALT lymphoma in patients with autoimmune diseases: a comparative analysis of characteristics and clinical course

MALT lymphoma, especially of extragastric origin, is thought to be associated with an underlying autoimmune disease (AD) in a significant proportion of patients. No systematic assessment of the clinical characteristics of MALT lymphoma arising in AD as opposed to patients without AD has been performed so far. Therefore, all patients diagnosed and treated for MALT lymphoma at our institution have prospectively undergone routine clinical and serological assessment for AD since 1997. In total, 158 patients were available for analysis, and 61 out of 158 patients (39%) were diagnosed with an underlying AD. Patients with AD were predominantly women and significantly younger at lymphoma diagnosis (56 versus 67 years, P=0.004), with a significantly higher rate of extragastric lymphomas (P=0.012). Furthermore, lymphomas in these patients showed a lower frequency of trisomy 3 (P=0.04) and a significantly lower response rate to Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy in the case of gastric lymphomas (P=0.03). All other parameters including estimated median time to relapse were comparable between both groups. Our data suggest that patients with AD develop MALT lymphoma significantly earlier in life. The clinical course, however, does not appear to be adversely influenced by the presence of AD, as neither rate of relapse nor times to relapse or survival are significantly different.

Dose-attenuated radioimmunotherapy with tositumomab and iodine 131 tositumomab in patients with recurrent non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) and extensive bone marrow involvement

Radioimmunotherapy (RIT) with tositumomab and iodine 131 tositumomab can produce durable and complete responses in relapsed/refractory low-grade Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Patients with bone marrow involvement (BMI) with tumor >25% of the intertrabecular space are generally excluded from RIT because of risk of excessive hematologic toxicity. The authors conducted a dose-escalation study of tositumomab and iodine 131 tositumomab to determine whether RIT is feasible in this population. Patients had baseline BMI of >25% and platelet count of >or=150,000/mm3. In contrast to the usual 75 cGy total body dose of radiation, dose escalation of Iodine I 131 tositumomab began at a total body dose of 45 cGy, and increased to 55 cGy in a second cohort. Dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) was defined as absolute neutrophil count <500 cells/mm3 or platelets <25,000/mm3 for >17 days, or absolute neutrophil count <750/mm3 or platelets <50,000/mm3 for >24 days. Eleven subjects were enrolled (8 at 45 cGy and 3 at 55 cGy). Estimated BMI ranged from 30 to 65% (median approximately 40%). Patients had received a median of three prior chemotherapies (range 1 - 6). One of the six evaluable patients treated at 45 cGy experienced DLT. Three patients received 55 cGy, one had hematologic DLT concurrent with lymphoma progression and extensive BMI at relapse. Three of 11 (27%) patients received hematologic supportive care. Two patients had objective responses of 1 and 42.4+ months, respectively. RIT with attenuated dose iodine 131 tositumomab for patients with >25% BMI has acceptable toxicity and can result in lymphoma responses.

Serum-free light chain-a new biomarker for patients with B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia

New nephelometric immunoassays specific for free immunoglobulin light chains (FLCs) improve detection of monoclonal proteins (M-protein). Initial studies with FLC have focused on multiple myeloma and amyloidosis. The goal of this study was to evaluate the frequency of monoclonal serum FLC in patients with other B-cell malignancies. Frozen sera from 226 patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) or chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) were tested for M-protein by the serum FLC assay and compared with standard protein electrophoresis (PEL) and immunofixation (IF). Overall, 24% (54/226) of samples had a detectable M-protein with 63% of these (34/54) FLC-positive. In 35% (19/54), the M-protein was only detectable by FLC analysis. Of the 208 NHL patients, 22% (46/208) had a detectable M-protein. Also, 13% (27/208) were positive for FLC and 16% (33/208) had a detectable M-protein by PEL/IF. Twenty-eighty percent (13/46) of NHL patients with M-proteins were detectable only by FLC analysis. Within NHL, the highest incidences of FLC presence were in patients with mantle cell (36%) and small lymphocytic (24%). Among CLL patients, 44% had an M-protein with 39% detected by FLC and 11% detected by PEL/IF. Notably, in 6 of 8 CLL patients, the M-protein was only detectable by the FLC method. Serum FLC can be detected in a substantial fraction of patients with NHL/CLL, and the FLC technique improves detection of M-proteins when combined with standard PEL/IF. Future studies are warranted to elucidate the role of serum FLC as biomarkers of disease, for monitoring of minimal residual disease, and as a prognostic factor for response and survival.

PKC-beta II expression has prognostic impact in nodal diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

Recent studies of gene expression and immunohistochemistry have shown that protein kinase C-beta II (PKC-beta II) might have prognostic significance in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). We sought to determine the prognostic significance of the expression of PKC-beta II in patients with nodal DLBCL. Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues were stained with a monoclonal antibody to PKC-beta II protein. A total of 125 patients were studied; 83 patients (66%) were in the low-risk International Prognostic Index (IPI) group. Forty-eight patients (38%) were positive for PKC-beta II. Complete remission was obtained in 70%, and was not influenced by the PKC-beta II status (67 vs 71%). The 5-year event-free survival (EFS) was worse in high-risk patients (14 vs 58%, P<0.001) and in those with PKC-beta II positivity (36 vs 49%, P=0.054). In low-risk IPI patients, PKC-beta II expression was related to a worse 5-year overall survival (OS) (60 vs 76%, P=0.033) and a worse 5-year EFS (48 vs 66%, P=0.014). In a Cox regression analysis for EFS, both PKC-beta II expression (hazard ratio=1.68, P=0.037) and the IPI (HR=3.07, P<0.001) were independent poor prognostic factors. PKC-beta II (HR=1.72, P=0.046) and the IPI (HR=5.16, P<0.001) were also independent poor prognostic factors for the OS. PKC-beta II expression, along with the IPI, were associated with a worse EFS and OS in patients with nodal DLBCL specially in low-risk IPI patients.

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma of the breast

BACKGROUND

Primary lymphoma of the breast has been reported to have a high local and central nervous system recurrence (CNS) rate, suggesting the need for consolidation radiotherapy and CNS prophylaxis. A retrospective study was done to evaluate the institutional experience in this patient population.

METHODS

In all, 37 patients with lymphoma involving the breast at initial diagnosis and managed at Stanford University from 1981-2005 were included. Diagnostic tissue biopsies were obtained either from the breast mass or an involved lymph node. Treatment and response data, patterns of recurrence, and outcomes were reviewed.

RESULTS

Diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) was the most common histologic subtype seen in 18 of 37 (49%) patients. Follicular and marginal zone subtypes were seen in 38%. Most patients presented with an incidental breast mass in stage I(E) or II(E). Four (11%) patients presented with bilateral breast involvement, with only 1 patient presenting with CNS disease. DLBCL patients received doxorubicin-based chemotherapy, with 70% receiving involved field radiotherapy and a single patient receiving intrathecal therapy. No recurrences occurred in the involved breast and a single parenchymal CNS recurrence was recorded. Among the DLBCL patients, the 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) was 61%, with a median follow-up of 3.8 years (range, 5 months to 19 years) and the 5-year overall survival (OS) was estimated at 82%. Patients with indolent lymphoma had an estimated 5-year PFS of 76% and an OS of 92%.

CONCLUSIONS

DLBCL of the breast was successfully treated with doxorubicin-based chemotherapy alone or with involved field radiotherapy in an estimated 61% of patients at 5 years. A single CNS recurrence was observed in our series of patients, most of whom presented with limited disease.

Socioeconomic inequality and short-term outcome in Hodgkin's lymphoma

Socioeconomic status (SES) is a determinant of outcome in various types of cancer. The aim of this study is to analyze the impact of the SES in Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL). From 2001 to 2005, 194 consecutive patients were prospectively followed in 5 institutions. Patients answered a questionnaire with a set of items used to determine the SES, and were then divided in 2 groups according to their SES score. There were 151 patients (78%) with a higher SES and 43 patients (22%) with a lower SES. The complete remission (CR) rate was 82%. Patients with a higher SES had a higher CR rate than those with a lower SES (85 vs. 72%, crude odds ratio = 2.27, p = 0.046). A lower SES and the performance status >1 were independently associated with a trend towards a lower CR, even when controlled for the other covariables of interest. Ten patients (5%) died during treatment. Death during treatment was associated with a lower SES (16 vs. 2%, p = 0.001), a performance status >1 (p < 0.0001), a lower lymphocyte count (p = 0.012) and weakly with a lower albumin level (p = 0.065). With a median follow-up of 1.7 years, a higher SES was associated with a better 2-year overall survival (93 vs. 79%, p = 0.01). In underprivileged countries, patients with a lower SES require a more careful monitoring during treatment, possibly with specific support measures. Regimens more intense than doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine and dacarbazine could pose a prohibitive risk of complications in this group of patients. (c) 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Quantitative high-resolution CpG island mapping with Pyrosequencing reveals disease-specific methylation patterns of the CDKN2B gene in myelodysplastic syndrome and myeloid leukemia

BACKGROUND

Gene silencing through aberrant CpG island methylation is the most extensively analyzed epigenetic event in human tumorigenesis and has huge diagnostic and prognostic potential. Methylation patterns are often very heterogeneous, however, presenting a serious challenge for the development of methylation assays for diagnostic purposes.

METHODS

We used Pyrosequencing technology to determine the methylation status of 68 CpG sites in the CpG island of the CDKN2B gene [cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 2B (p15, inhibits CDK4)], frequently hypermethylated in myeloid malignancies, in a series of bone marrow samples from patients with myelodysplasia and myeloid leukemia (n = 82) and from 32 controls. A total of 7762 individual methylation sites were quantitatively evaluated. Precision and reproducibility of the quantification was evaluated with several overlapping primers.

RESULTS

The use of optimized sequencing primers and the new Pyro Q-CpG software enabled precise and reproducible quantification with a single sequencing primer of up to 15 CpG sites distributed over approximately 100 bp. Extensive statistical analyses of the whole CpG island revealed for the first time disease-specific methylation patterns of the CDKN2B gene in myeloid malignancies and small regions of differential methylation with high discriminatory power that enabled differentiation of even low-grade myelodysplastic syndrome samples from the controls, a result that was confirmed in an independent group of 9 control and 36 patient samples.

CONCLUSION

The precise quantitative methylation mapping of whole CpG islands is now possible with Pyrosequencing software in combination with optimized sequencing primers. This method reveals disease-specific methylation patterns and enables the development of specific diagnostic assays.

Elevation of soluble CD307 (IRTA2/FcRH5) protein in the blood and expression on malignant cells of patients with multiple myeloma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and mantle cell lymphoma

CD307 is a differentiation antigen expressed in B-lineage cells. One soluble and two membrane-bound forms have been predicted and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for soluble CD307 established. Our goal was to determine if CD307 is expressed on the surface of cells from patients with multiple myeloma (MM), chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) and other B-cell malignancies and if soluble CD307 levels are elevated in the blood of patients with these B-cell malignancies. Cells and blood were collected from patients. Expression of CD307 was measured by flow cytometry and blood levels of soluble CD307 by ELISA. High soluble CD307 levels were detected in 21/43 (49%) of patients with MM, 36/46 (78%) with CLL and 9/24 (38%) with MCL. Soluble CD307 levels correlated with plasma cell percentages in bone marrow aspirates in MM and total white blood cells in CLL. CD307 on the cell membrane was detected by flow cytometry in 8/8 MM, 23/29 CLL and 4/5 MCL samples. Because CD307 is present on malignant cells from patients with MM, CLL and MCL, CD307 may be a useful therapeutic target for the treatment of these diseases.

18F-Fluoro-deoxy-glucose positron emission tomography in lymphoma of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue: histology makes the difference

BACKGROUND

The usefulness of 2-[fluorine-18]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose Positron emission tomography (18F-FDG-PET) in lymphoma of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT lymphoma) is still a matter of debate, and conflicting results have been reported. We have evaluated whether the histological feature of plasmacytic differentiation (PD) might explain the heterogeneous behavior of MALT lymphoma regarding 18F-FDG uptake.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A total of 35 patients with a diagnosis of MALT lymphoma referred to our PET unit were studied. Whole-body 18F-FDG-PET scans were carried out on a General Electrics advanced PET scanner 40 min after i.v. injection of 300-380 MBq 18F-FDG. Images were reconstructed iteratively. In areas with focally elevated FDG uptake, standard uptake values (SUVs) were calculated.

RESULTS

A total of 19 patients had MALT lymphoma with plasmacytic differentiation (pMALT), while MALT lymphoma without plasmacytic features was diagnosed in 16 patients. Sixteen of 19 patients with PD showed significant 18F-FDG uptake in involved sites (SUV: 3.5-11.7). By contrast, 13 of 16 patients with normal MALT lymphoma showed a false-negative 18F-FDG-PET result. Two of these patients disclosed no tracer uptake in the majority of involved sites apart from one single lesions, while three had a true-positive 18F-FDG-PET scan (SUV: 3.4-6.0).

CONCLUSIONS

18F-FDG-PET visualizes pMALT in a high proportion of patients, whereas FDG-PET results are significantly less reliable in typical MALT (P = 0.001). This finding may partly account for the heterogeneous results of 18F-FDG-PET-studies in MALT lymphoma.

Primary colorectal lymphomas

OBJECTIVE

The incidence of primary colorectal lymphomas is rare, comprising 10-20% of gastrointestinal lymphomas and only 0.2-0.6% of large bowel malignancies. There is a male predominance, with a maximal reported incidence in the 50- to 70-year age group. Patients often present delayed with nonspecific symptoms and consequently have advanced disease at the time of diagnosis. Inflammatory bowel disease and immunosuppression have been reported as risk factors, although a direct causal link has yet to be established. Treatment often involves a multimodality approach, combining surgery and chemotherapy, with the use of radiotherapy in selected cases. We present our experience in the management of primary colorectal lymphomas over a 10-year period (1989-1999).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We reviewed all cases of primary colorectal lymphoma seen at our institution from 1989 to 1999. Patients were included based on standard diagnostic criteria for primary intestinal lymphoma established by Dawson in 1961. The following clinical information was obtained: age, sex, presentation, site of tumour, operation performed, histology, length of stay, intraoperative complications, adjuvant therapy and duration of follow-up. The type of lymphoma was classified according to the WHO classification system. For staging, a modification of the Ann Arbor system for gastrointestinal lymphoma, proposed by Musshoff, was used.

RESULTS

During the 10-year period from 1989 to 1999, 14 cases of primary colorectal lymphomas were identified. This comprised 0.44% of all colorectal malignancies (14 of 3199 cases) seen in our department during this period. There were 13 men and one woman. Their mean age at presentation was 61 years. The common presentations included a combination of abdominal pain (71.4%), anorexia and loss of weight (42.9%) and an abdominal mass (28.6%). The two most common sites of involvement were the caecum (57.1%) and the rectum/sigmoid colon (21.4%). The lesions manifested in a variety of ways, ranging from solitary fungating masses to multiple colonic polyps. All but one patient underwent attempted curative surgical resection. All cases were non-Hodgkin's B-cell lymphomas, with a majority being diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (57.1%). The diagnoses were established through laparotomy in all cases. All cases presented with evidence of spread to regional lymph nodes or beyond. Eleven patients (78.6%) received postoperative chemotherapy, with a regimen that included cyclophosphamide, vincristine, doxorubicin and prednisone. The remaining three were too ill or refused. There were no mortalities within 30 days of surgery. The patients were followed up for a median of 20 months (range 2-84) and more than half are alive and continue to be on follow-up with no evidence of recurrence.

CONCLUSION

Primary colorectal lymphoma is a rare condition. It predominantly affects males between the sixth and seventh decade of life and most commonly occurs in the caecum. It often presents with abdominal pain and loss of weight and due to the nonspecific nature of these symptoms, patients frequently present late with advanced loco-regional disease. The histology is usually B cell and of intermediate grade. Therapy usually involves resection of the affected colon and regional lymphovascular structures, followed by adjuvant chemotherapy, with a reported 5-year survival of 27-55%.

The Follicular Lymphoma International Prognostic Index (FLIPI) and the histological subtype are the most important factors to predict histological transformation in follicular lymphoma

BACKGROUND

Histological transformation (HT) is a well-known event in patients with follicular lymphoma (FL) conferring an unfavorable prognosis. The aim of the study was to analyze incidence and risk factors for HT in a large series of FL patients.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

276 patients (median age: 54 years; M139/F137) diagnosed with FL (42% grade 1, 51% 2, 7% 3) in a single institution were studied. Initial treatment consisted of combined chemotherapy in most cases. Median survival was 11.3 years. Main clinic and biological variables were assessed for HT and survival.

RESULTS

30 of 276 patients (11%) presented HT after a median follow-up of 6.5 years, with a risk of 15% and 22% at 10 and at 15 years, respectively. All HT corresponded to diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Grade 3 histology, nodal areas >4, increased LDH and beta(2)-microglobulin, and high-risk IPI and FLIPI were associated with HT. In multivariate analysis, grade 3 histology and FLIPI retained prognostic significance. Only FLIPI predicted HT in grade 1-2 patients. 28 patients received salvage treatment for HT, with a CR rate of 52%. Median survival from transformation was 1.2 years, with 6/13 CR patients being alive >5 years after HT.

CONCLUSION

FLIPI and histology were the most important variables predicting HT. Upon HT, only patients achieving CR reached prolonged survival, thus emphasizing the need for effective therapies once this event occurs.