Primary cutaneous T-cell lymphoproliferative disorder of donor origin after allogeneic haematopoietic stem-cell transplantation

T-Cell Posttransplant Lymphoproliferative Disorders After Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation: Case Series and Systemic Review

Posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) is a rare lymphoid and/or plasmocytic proliferation that occurs after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). We aimed to identify the pathologic features and clinical outcomes of T-cell PTLD, an extremely rare subtype of PTLD, after allo-HSCT. In this study, six allo-HSCT recipients with T-cell PTLD from five transplant centers in China were enrolled. All the T-cell PTLD were donor-derived, and three patients were with monomorphic and three with polymorphic types, respectively. All patients received cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (CHOP)-based chemotherapy. Five patients achieved complete response (CR), and one experienced progressive disease (PD). The median time from HSCT to onset was 4 (range: 0.6-72) months, analyzed in combination with the other 16 patients with T-cell PTLD identified from previous reports. About 56.3% of the T-cell samples (9/16) were positive for in situ hybridization with an Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-encoded small nuclear early region (EBER ISH). CHOP-based chemotherapy might be the optimal strategy for patients who showed no response to empiric therapy with a CR rate of 87.5%. In conclusion, our study observed that T-cell PTLD has distinct clinical manifestations and morphological features, which characterized by less relation to EBV, later occurrence, and poorer prognosis when compared with B-cell PTLD.

Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma (CTCL) Arising Post Kidney Transplant: A Review of Clinical Variants in the Literature

Post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease is a rare disorder with an annual incidence of 0.5% to 3.7%. Development of this disorder carries with it a poor prognosis. In this report, we describe a rare case of post-transplant primary cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (PT-CTCL) mycosis fungoides stage IIB in a patient following kidney transplantation, as well as a review of PT-CTCL reported in the literature. The treatment following diagnosis included bexarotene, cyclosporine, and prednisone. Currently, the patient is free from disease. This information aims to add to the knowledge of the prevalence and management of PT-CTCL.

Primary Cutaneous Marginal Zone Lymphoproliferative Disorder of Donor Origin after Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

ABSTRACT

Primary cutaneous posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorders (PTLDs) after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (allo-HSCT) are exceedingly rare, with only 6 published cases, all of them consisting in T-cell neoplasms. In this report, we present for the first time a donor-derived B-cell PTLD consisting in a primary, cutaneous, B-cell, marginal zone, lymphoproliferative disorder (PCMZLPD). The patient, a 37-year-old woman with a history of Hodgkin lymphoma received an allo-HSCT from her healthy, matched, related father, achieving complete host chimerism in the bone marrow and peripheral blood. However, 8 years after the allo-HSCT, she presented asymptomatic skin lesions consisting in oval, well-defined, slightly raised erythematous plaques, located on the arms, trunk, and legs. Skin biopsies of 2 lesions demonstrated a class-switched IgG+, EBV-, PCMZLPD, showing kappa light chain restriction and monoclonal rearrangement of the IgH gene. Microsatellite genotyping and 2-color fluorescence in situ hybridization (X and Y chromosomes) confirmed that the origin of the neoplastic cells was the donor graft. The lesions showed an indolent behavior, good response to topical corticosteroids, and no need for systemic treatment. Our case broadens the spectrum of PTLD, a diverse group of lymphoid and/or plasmacytic proliferations with variable clinical presentations and histopathological features.

T-cell posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorders after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation

Posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) is usually donor derived, associated with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), and of B-cell origin. T-cell PTLD (T-PTLD) after allogeneic HCT is extremely rare. Four of 1015 (0.39%) allogeneic HCT patients were diagnosed with T-PTLD; peripheral T-cell lymphoma-not otherwise specified, anaplastic large cell lymphoma, monomorphic T-cell PTLD and polymorphic PTLD with chronic active EBV infection-like symptoms. Three of the four patients developed T-PTLD within 6 months after HCT from HLA-mismatched unrelated donor. Three (75%) and 4 (100%) cases were positive for EBV-encoded small RNA in situ hybridization and EBV-DNA load in peripheral blood, respectively. Chimerism analysis showed that 75% of T-PTLD tissues (3/4) were recipient derived. T-PTLD was refractory to salvage chemotherapy and fatal in all four patients. Including the 10 patients in the literature, the median interval from HCT to diagnosis of T-PTLD was 5 months (range 1-72 months), 55% were negative for EBV, and 56% were recipient-derived. T-PTLD, which often occurred early after allogeneic HCT, was more likely to be EBV negative and recipient derived than B-cell PTLD after allogeneic HCT. Like T-PTLD after solid organ transplant, T-PTLD after allogeneic HCT demonstrated morphological heterogeneity and poor prognosis.

Sezary syndrome manifesting as posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder

Posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorders (PTLDs) of T-cell orgin are rare biologically heterogeneous diseases of mature lymphoid cells manifesting in immunosuppressed patients. Only a few cases of mycosis fungoides diagnosed post allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant (alloHSCT) have been described so far. We present a patient with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) post matched unrelated donor alloHSCT who was on long-term immunosuppressive therapy due to graft versus host disease. Three years after an alloHSCT, she developed generalized erythroderma and peripheral blood lymphocytosis. Both skin biopsy and peripheral blood flow cytometry revealed atypical CD4+ T-cell population consistent with diagnosis of Sezary syndrome. Chimerism studies revealed 100% donor engraftment. Therapy with extracorporeal photopheresis resulted in complete response in blood and skin.

National Institutes of Health Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation Late Effects Initiative: The Subsequent Neoplasms Working Group Report

Subsequent neoplasms (SN) after hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) cause significant patient morbidity and mortality. Risks for specific SN types vary substantially, with particularly elevated risks for post-transplantation lymphoproliferative disorders, myelodysplastic syndrome/acute myeloid leukemia, and squamous cell malignancies. This document provides an overview of the current state of knowledge regarding SN after HCT and recommends priorities and approaches to overcome challenges and gaps in understanding. Numerous factors have been suggested to affect risk, including patient-related (eg, age), primary disease-related (eg, disease type, pre-HCT therapies), and HCT-related characteristics (eg, type and intensity of conditioning regimen, stem cell source, development of graft-versus-host disease). However, gaps in understanding remain for each of these risk factors, particularly for patients receiving HCT in the current era because of substantial advances in clinical transplantation practices. Additionally, the influence of nontransplantation-related risk factors (eg, germline genetic susceptibility, oncogenic viruses, lifestyle factors) is poorly understood. Clarification of the magnitude of SN risks and identification of etiologic factors will require large-scale, long-term, systematic follow-up of HCT survivors with detailed clinical data. Most investigations of the mechanisms of SN pathogenesis after HCT have focused on immune drivers. Expansion of our understanding in this area will require interdisciplinary laboratory collaborations utilizing measures of immune function and availability of archival tissue from SN diagnoses. Consensus-based recommendations for optimal preventive, screening, and therapeutic approaches have been developed for certain SN after HCT, whereas for other SN, general population guidelines are recommended. Further evidence is needed to specifically tailor preventive, screening, and therapeutic guidelines for SN after HCT, particularly for unique patient populations. Accomplishment of this broad research agenda will require increased investment in systematic data collection with engagement from patients, clinicians, and interdisciplinary scientists to reduce the burden of SN in the rapidly growing population of HCT survivors.

Donor-derived mycosis fungoides following reduced intensity haematopoietic stem cell transplantation from a matched unrelated donor

A 46-year-old woman with a history of dasatinib-resistant chronic myeloid leukaemia, clonal evolution and monosomy 7 underwent reduced intensity conditioned in vivo T-cell-depleted allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) from a matched unrelated donor. Following the transplantation, she developed recurrent cutaneous graft versus host disease (GvHD), which required treatment with systemic immunosuppression and electrocorporeal photophoresis. Concurrently, she developed a lichenoid rash with granulomatous features suggestive of cutaneous sarcoidosis. Additional treatment with hydroxychloroquine was initially successful, but 2 months later, she developed erythroderma with palpable lymphadenopathy. Repeated histological analysis established a diagnosis of folliculotropic mycosis fungoides stage IVA2, and the malignant clone was confirmed to be of donor origin. A positive response to brentuximab has been shown. This is the first reported case of primary mycosis fungoides after matched unrelated donor HSCT, and in a patient still undergoing treatment for GvHD.

Cutaneous EBV-related lymphoproliferative disorders

This article will focus on the cutaneous lymphoproliferative disorders associated with EBV, with an emphasis on the upcoming changes in the revised 4th Edition of the WHO classification of tumors of the hematopoietic system, many of which deal with cutaneous disorders derived from NK-cells or T-cells. Extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma usually presents in the upper aerodigestive tract, but can involve the skin secondarily. EBV-associated T- and NK-cell lymphoproliferative disorders (LPD) in the pediatric age group include the systemic diseases, chronic active EBV infection (CAEBV) and systemic EBV+ T-cell lymphoma of childhood. Hydroa vacciniforme (HV)-like LPD is a primarily cutaneous form of CAEBV and encompasses the lesions previously referred to as HV and HV-like lymphoma (HVLL). All the T/NK-cell-EBV-associated diseases occur with higher frequency in Asians, and indigenous populations from Central and South America and Mexico. Among the B-cell EBV-associated LPD two major changes have been introduced in the WHO. The previously designated EBV-positive diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (EBV-DLBCL) of the elderly, has been changed to EBV-DLBCL with 'not otherwise specified' as a modifier (NOS). A new addition to the WHO system is the more recently identified EBV+ mucocutaneous ulcer, which involves skin and mucosal-associated sites.

Skin Recurrence of Transformed Mycosis Fungoides Postumbilical Cord Blood Transplant despite Complete Donor Chimerism

Background. Allogeneic stem cell transplant is the treatment of choice for systemic cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) which provides graft-versus-lymphoma effect. Herein we discuss a case of recurrence of CTCL skin lesions after cord blood transplant in a patient who continued to have 100% donor chimerism in bone marrow. Case Presentation. A 48-year-old female with history of mycosis fungoides (MF) presented with biopsy proven large cell transformation of MF. PET scan revealed multiple adenopathy in abdomen and chest suspicious for lymphoma and skin biopsy showed large cell transformation. She was treated with multiple cycles of chemotherapy. Posttherapy PET scan showed resolution of lymphadenopathy. Later she underwent ablative preparative regimen followed by single cord blood transplant. Bone marrow chimerism studies at day +60 after transplant showed 100% donor cells without presence of lymphoma. However 5 months after transplant she had recurrence of MF with the same genotype as prior skin lesion. Bone marrow chimerism study continued to show 100% donor cells. Conclusion. A differential graft-versus-lymphoma effect in our case prevented lymphoma recurrence systemically but failed to do so in skin. We hypothesize that this response may be due to presence of other factors in the bone marrow and lymph node microenvironments preventing recurrence in these sites.

Development of mycosis fungoides after bone marrow transplantation for chronic myeloid leukaemia: transmission from an allogeneic donor

We report on a patient who developed donor-derived cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) 4 years after successful treatment of chronic myeloid leukaemia with an allogeneic bone marrow transplant. The patient developed an eczematous rash unresponsive to topical therapy and immunosuppression. When CTCL was diagnosed in the recipient, his sibling donor had been attending his local dermatology unit with a maculosquamous rash, which proved subsequently to be mycosis fungoides. An identical pattern of donor and recipient clonality assessment and T-cell receptor gene sequencing indicated that the CTCL was probably transmitted in the bone marrow harvest. This suggests that CTCL cells circulate in the marrow at an early subclinical stage in this disease. This is the second case of donor-derived CTCL reported to date.

Primary distal femur T-cell lymphoma after allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation for chronic myeloid leukaemia: a rare case report and literature review

Post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorders originating from T lymphocytes are a rare complication of allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) that are not usually associated with Epstein-Barr virus infection. A male patient diagnosed at the age of 15 years with chronic myeloid leukaemia (in the chronic phase) was initially treated with oral hydroxyurea. The disease entered an accelerated phase when the patient was 22 years old. Complete remission was achieved after one course of homoharringtonine and cytarabine. The patient then underwent human leucocyte antigen-matched sibling donor allo-HSCT. Just over 6.5 years after the allo-HSCT, a second primary tumour was located in the distal femur and diagnosed as T-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (stage IV, group B). This was treated with various chemotherapy and radiotherapy regimens, but the outcomes were poor and the disease progressed. The T-cell lymphoma invaded many sites, including the skeleton, spleen and skin, and the patient died within 8 months of the diagnosis. This current case report highlights the need for the early detection and prevention of subsequent primary malignancies after allo-HSCT.

Clinicopathological characteristics of posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorders of T-cell origin: single-center series of nine cases and meta-analysis of 147 reported cases

T-cell or natural killer (NK)-cell posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder (T-PTLD) is a rare but severe complication after transplant. Here we present the clinicopathological features of a single-center series of nine cases. Additionally, we summarize the clinicopathological findings of 147 cases of T/NK-cell PTLD reported in the literature in an attempt to define subtype-specific characteristics. T/NK-cell PTLD occurs in patients of all ages, usually extranodally, and most frequently after kidney transplant. Organ specific incidence, however, is highest following heart transplant. Approximately one-third of T-cell PTLDs are Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-related, with peripheral T-cell lymphoma, not otherwise specified (PTCL, NOS) being the most prevalent EBV-associated T-cell PTLD. A male predominance is observed, which is most striking in the EBV(+) group, particularly in PTCL, NOS. With a median posttransplant interval of 72 months, T-cell PTLDs are among the late-occurring PTLDs. Of the most common T-cell PTLDs, anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) has the best prognosis, whereas PTCL, NOS and hepatosplenic T-cell lymphoma (HSTCL) have the worst prognosis. EBV(+) cases seem to have a longer survival than EBV(-) cases, suggesting a different pathogenetic mechanism.