Malignant lymphomas and autoimmunity-a single center experience from Hungary

Autoimmune Complications in Hematologic Neoplasms

Autoimmune cytopenias (AICy) and autoimmune diseases (AID) can complicate both lymphoid and myeloid neoplasms, and often represent a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. While autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) and immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) are well known, other rarer AICy (autoimmune neutropenia, aplastic anemia, and pure red cell aplasia) and AID (systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, vasculitis, thyroiditis, and others) are poorly recognized. This review analyses the available literature of the last 30 years regarding the occurrence of AICy/AID in different onco-hematologic conditions. The latter include chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), lymphomas, multiple myeloma, myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML), myeloproliferative neoplasms, and acute leukemias. On the whole, AICy are observed in up to 10% of CLL and with higher frequencies in certain subtypes of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, whilst they occur in less than 1% of low-risk MDS and CMML. AID are described in up to 30% of myeloid and lymphoid patients, including immune-mediated hemostatic disorders (acquired hemophilia, thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, and anti-phospholipid syndrome) that may be severe and fatal. Additionally, AICy/AID are found in about 10% of patients receiving hematopoietic stem cell transplant or treatment with new checkpoint inhibitors. Besides the diagnostic difficulties, these AICy/AID may complicate the clinical management of already immunocompromised patients.

The impact of autoimmune cytopenias on the clinical course and survival of Hodgkin lymphoma

The characteristics of autoimmune cytopenias (AICP) associated with Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) are not thoroughly defined. We retrospectively assessed the clinical features of HL-associated AICPs in 563 HL patients diagnosed over a period of 28 years. We identified 8 cases of autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) and 8 cases of autoimmune thrombocytopenia among 14 patients altogether. Four (26%) AICPs were present at lymphoma diagnosis, while 11 (74%) cytopenias occurred during follow-up after first-line therapy. The overall incidence of HL-associated AICPs was 2.8%. Nine (75%) cytopenias responded to intravenous steroids. Seven (46%) AICPs led to the diagnosis of HL, indicated a relapse, or revealed secondary malignancies. AIHAs and AICPs altogether were more likely to develop in patients with advanced-stage HL (p = 0.010 and p < 0.004, respectively). HL patients experiencing AICPs had an increased short-term (1-year) mortality compared to the general HL population (p < 0.022). The 5-year OS of HL patients with concurrent AICPs at diagnosis was inferior compared to HL patients developing AICPs during follow-up (p = 0.005), and to HL patients without AICPs (p < 0.001). Patients with HL-associated AICPs appear to have a particular disease-related profile. The association of HL and AICPs may increase short-term mortality, while patients with concurrent AICPs at HL diagnosis have a dismal prognosis.

Epidemiology and pathophysiology of malignancy in common variable immunodeficiency?

Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is a diagnostic category of primary immunodeficiency (PID) which may present with heterogeneous disorders including recurrent infections, autoimmunity, granulomatous diseases, lymphoid and other types of malignancies. Generally, the incidence of malignancy in CVID patients is around 1.5-20.7% and usually occurs during the 4th-6th decade of life. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is the most frequent malignancy, followed by epithelial tumours of stomach, breast, bladder and cervix. The exact pathological mechanisms for cancer development in CVID are not fully determined; however, several mechanisms including impaired genetic stability, genetic predisposition, immune dysregulation, impaired clearance of oncogenic viruses and bacterial infections, and iatrogenic causes have been proposed to contribute to the high susceptibility of these patients to malignancies.