Post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorders and Epstein-Barr virus DNAemia in a cohort of lung transplant recipients

Epstein-Barr virus qPCR testing on bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from immunocompromised patients

BACKGROUND

Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) is associated with lung disease in immunocompromised patients, particularly transplant recipients. EBV DNA testing of lower respiratory tract specimens may have diagnostic utility.

METHODS

This was a retrospective, observational study of all patients with bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluids submitted for EBV qPCR testing from February 2016 to June 2022 at the Stanford Clinical Virology Laboratory.

RESULTS

There were 140 patients that underwent 251 EBV qPCR BAL tests (median 1; range 1 - 10). These patients had a mean age of 15.9 years (standard deviation, 15.1 years) and 50 % were female. Transplant recipients accounted for 67.1 % (94/140) of patients, including 67.0 % (63/94) solid organ transplant (SOT) and 33.0 % (31/94) hematopoietic cell transplant. Diagnostic testing was performed more commonly than surveillance testing [57.0 % (143/251) v. 43.0 % (108/251)]; 96.2 % (104/108) of surveillance samples were from lung transplant recipients. Excluding internal control failures, 34.7 % (83/239) of BAL had detectable EBV DNA, encompassing a wide range of viral loads (median=3.03 log10 IU/mL, range 1.44 to 6.06). Overall agreement of EBV DNA in BAL compared to plasma was 74.1 % [117/158; 95 % confidence interval (CI): 66.5 % to 80.7 %], with a kappa coefficient of 0.44 (95 % CI: 0.30 to 0.57). Only 20.1 % (48/239) of results were discussed in a subsequent clinical note, and one result (0.4 %; 1/239) changed clinical management.

CONCLUSIONS

EBV qPCR testing on BAL offers limited clinical impact. Additional biomarkers are required to improve the diagnosis of EBV-associated lung diseases.

Screening and Management of PTLD

Posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) represents a heterogeneous group of lymphoproliferative diseases occurring in the setting of immunosuppression following hematopoietic stem cells transplant and solid organ transplantation. Despite its overall low incidence, PTLD is a serious complication following transplantation, with a mortality rate as high as 50% in transplant recipients. Therefore, it is important to establish for each transplant recipient a personalized risk evaluation for the development of PTLD based on the determination of Epstein-Barr virus serostatus and viral load following the initiation of immunosuppression. Due to the dynamic progression of PTLD, reflected in the diverse pathological features, different therapeutic approaches have been used to treat this disorder. Moreover, new therapeutic strategies based on the administration of virus-specific cytotoxic T cells have been developed. In this review, we summarize the available data on screening and treatment to suggest a strategy to identify transplant recipients at a higher risk for PTLD development and to review the current therapeutic options for PTLD.

High Predictive Value of the Soluble ZEBRA Antigen (Epstein-Barr Virus Trans-Activator Zta) in Transplant Patients with PTLD

The ZEBRA (Z EBV replication activator) protein is the major transcription factor of EBV, expressed upon EBV lytic cycle activation. An increasing body of studies have highlighted the critical role of EBV lytic infection as a risk factor for lymphoproliferative disorders, such as post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease (PTLD). We studied 108 transplanted patients (17 PTLD and 91 controls), retrospectively selected from different hospitals in France and in the Netherlands. The majority of PTLD were EBV-positive diffuse large B-cell lymphomas, five patients experienced atypical PTLD forms (EBV-negative lymphomas, Hodgkin’s lymphomas, and T-cell lymphomas). Fourteen patients among the seventeen who developed a pathologically confirmed PTLD were sZEBRA positive (soluble ZEBRA, plasma level above 20 ng/mL, measured by an ELISA test). The specificity and positive predictive value (PPV) of the sZEBRA detection in plasma were 98% and 85%, respectively. Considering a positivity threshold of 20 ng/mL, the sensitivity of the sZEBRA was 82.35% and the specificity was 94.51%. The mean of the sZEBRA values in the PTLD cases were significantly higher than in the controls (p < 0.0001). The relevance of the lytic cycle and, particularly, the role of ZEBRA in lymphomagenesis is a new paradigm pertaining to the prevention and treatment strategies for PTLD. Given the high-specificity and the predictive values of this test, it now appears relevant to investigate the lytic EBV infection in transplanted patients as a prognostic biomarker.

Malignancy after lung transplantation

Lung transplantation is an established therapeutic option for selected patients with advanced lung diseases. As early outcomes after lung transplantation have improved, chronic medical illnesses have emerged as significant obstacles to long-term survival. Among them is post-transplant malignancy, currently representing the 2^nd most common cause of death 5–10 years after transplantation. Chronic immunosuppressive therapy and resulting impairment of anti-tumor immune surveillance is thought to have a central role in cancer development after solid organ transplantation (SOT). Lung transplant recipients receive more immunosuppression than other SOT populations, likely contributing to even higher risk of cancer among this group. The most common cancers in lung transplant recipients are non-melanoma skin cancers, followed by lung cancer and post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD). The purpose of this review is to outline the common malignancies following lung transplant, their risk factors, prognosis and current means for both prevention and treatment.

Epstein-Barr Virus-Related Post-Transplant Lymphoproliferative Disorders in Cystic Fibrosis Lung Transplant Recipients: A Case Series

BACKGROUND

Solid organ transplantation is associated with a higher risk of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-related lymphoproliferative disease due to immunosuppressive regimen. Little evidence is currently available on post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorders (PTLDs) in the lung transplant (LuTx) setting, particularly in cystic fibrosis (CF) recipients.

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed all the cases of PTLDs that occurred in our LuTx center between January 2015 and December 2017. We reviewed clinical and radiologic data, donor and recipient EBV serostatus, immunosuppressive therapy, histologic data, and follow-up of these patients.

RESULTS

A total of 77 LuTxs were performed at our center in the study period; 39 (50.6%) patients had CF; 4 developed EBV-related PTLDs. They were all young (17-26 years) CF patients with high serum EBV DNA load. Disease onset was within the first 3 months after LuTx. In 3 cases presentation was associated with fever and infection-like symptoms, whereas in 1 case radiologic suspicion arose unexpectedly from a CT scan performed for different clinical reasons. Diagnosis was reached through lung biopsy in all cases. All patients received rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin hydrochloride (hydroxydaunomycin), vincristine sulfate (Oncovin), and prednisone with variable response and complications.

CONCLUSION

In our experience, the early development of EBV-related PTLD was a highly aggressive, life-threatening condition, which exclusively affected young CF patients in the early post-transplant period. The rate of this complication was relatively high in our population. Diagnosis with lung biopsy is crucial in all suspected cases and regular monitoring of EBV DNA levels is of utmost importance given the high correlation with PTLDs in patients at increased risk.

Posttransplant Lymphoproliferative Disorder Presenting as Testicular Lymphoma in a Kidney Transplant Recipient: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) is a malignancy caused by the immunosuppression that occurs after transplantation. It is primarily a nodal lesion but frequently it involves extranodal masses. Treatment is usually by reducing immunosuppressive therapy. Testicular lymphoma as PTLD is notably rare in documented literature and there is limited evidence of definitive treatment guidelines. This manuscript describes a patient who developed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma of his right testis one year following kidney transplantation. A diagnosis of PTLD was made and treatment with rituximab, locoregional radiotherapy, and intrathecal methotrexate in addition to the standard reduction of immunosuppression resulted in complete remission until now. We submit this case along with literature review of similar cases in the past and a review of specific peculiarities of our case with emphasis on our treatment plan to further the understanding of this diversiform disease.

Systematic review and meta-analysis of post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder in lung transplant recipients

A systematic review of papers in English on post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) in lung transplant recipients (LTR) using MEDLINE, EMBASE, SCOPUS, and Cochrane databases was performed. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) recommendations were strictly adhered to. Pooled odds ratios (pOR) were calculated from a random-effects model, and heterogeneity among studies was quantitated using I² values. Fourteen studies published from 2005 to 2015 were included in the meta-analysis. One hundred and sixty-four lung transplant recipients were included. LTRs who received single vs bilateral were associated with a 7.67-fold risk of death after PTLD (6 studies with 64 LTRs; pOR 7.67 95% CI 1.98-29.70; P = .003). pOR of death for early onset PTLD (<1 year post-LT) vs late onset (>1 year post-LT) was not different (3 studies with 72 LTRS; pOR 0.62, 95% CI 0.20-1.86, P = .39). Standardized mean difference (SMD) in time from transplant to PTLD onset between LTRs who died vs alive was not different (9 studies with 109 LTRs; SMD 0.03, 95% CI -0.48-0.53, P = .92). Survival in polymorphic vs monomorphic PTLD and extranodal vs nodal disease was similar (4 studies with 31 LTRs; pOR 0.44, 95% CI 0.08-2.51; P = .36. 6 studies with 81 LTRs; pOR 1.05 95% CI 0.31-3.52, P = .94). This meta-analysis demonstrates that single LTRs are at a higher risk of death vs bilateral LTRs after the development of PTLD.

Posttransplant solid organ malignancies in lung transplant recipients: a single-center experience and review of the literature

PURPOSE

Solid-organ tumor incidences are higher in solid organ transplant patients than in the general population. The aim of this study was to analyze solid-organ tumor frequency and characteristics in a population of lung transplant patients and provide a brief review of the literature.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis was conducted of all patients who underwent a lung transplant in the Lung Transplant Program at the University Hospital of Siena, Italy, from 2001 to 2014 (n = 119). Patients' demographics, pretransplant characteristics, immunosuppressive therapy, and infectious factors were recorded.

RESULTS

Nine patients with a median age of 59.0 years (range 50-63) of our cohort developed a solid-organ tumor (7.5%). Most of the patients experienced nonmelanoma skin cancer (44.4%); the others were diagnosed with lung cancer (22.2%), breast cancer (22.2%), and colon-rectal cancer (11.2%). The median time from transplantation to tumor diagnosis was 895.0 days (range 321-2046). No differences in pretransplant characteristics, immunosuppressive therapy, or infectious factors were found between patients who developed solid organ tumors and those who did not.

CONCLUSIONS

The present study confirmed that de novo malignancies are a major issue in lung transplant patients; in particular, skin and lung cancers demonstrated a higher incidence rate. Oncologic treatment of these patients is complex, requiring close collaboration between the transplant team and oncologist. Strict screening programs are key factors for an early diagnosis and to allow for prompt treatment resulting in a better outcome.

Epstein-Barr Virus-related Posttransplant Lymphoproliferative Disorder in Children: A Single-institution Experience

We report 4 pediatric cases of biopsy-proven posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) in the context of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). All cases showed diffuse staining with latent membrane protein-1 in immunohistochemistry. The median age at transplant of 4 patients with PTLD was 10.1 years (range, 2.2 to 13.2 y). The median interval between HSCT and the diagnosis of PTLD was 5.5 months (range, 4 to 8 mo). All patients were treated with rituximab at dosage of 375 mg/m at weekly intervals. Reduction of immunosuppression was warranted in all cases. All patients survived with median follow-up duration of 27 months. Although PTLD has been rare following allogeneic HSCT, reduction of immunosuppression combined with rituximab yielded significant response rates in patients with this infrequent but potentially lethal complication. The preliminary finding of this study demonstrated that severe aplastic anemia is closely associated with the development of PTLD in children.

Risks and Epidemiology of Infections After Lung or Heart–Lung Transplantation

Nowadays, lung transplantation is an established treatment option of end-stage pulmonary parenchymal and vascular disease. Post-transplant infections are a significant contributor to overall morbidity and mortality in the lung transplant recipient that, in turn, are higher than in other solid organ transplant recipients. This is likely due to several specific factors such as the constant exposure to the outside environment and the colonized native airway, and the disruption of usual mechanisms of defense including the cough reflex, bronchial circulation, and lymphatic drainage. This chapter will review the common infections that develop in the lung or heart–lung transplant recipient, including the general risk factors for infection in this population, and specific features of prophylaxis and treatment for the most frequent bacterial, viral, and fungal infections. The effects of infection on lung transplant rejection will also be discussed.

Lymphoproliferative Disorders after Lung Transplantation: Clinicopathological Characterization of 16 Cases with Identification of Very-Late-Onset Forms

BACKGROUND

The incidence of posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorders (PTLD) has recently declined, but late cases are increasingly reported in lung transplant recipients.

OBJECTIVES

We present our experience with PTLD after lung transplantation, attempting to examine the distinguishing characteristics of early versus late cases.

METHODS

We have reviewed clinical and pathological data of all cases occurring in our institution between 2001 and 2014.

RESULTS

Patients, aged 15-63 years, were mostly (12/16) Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) seropositive at the time of transplantation. Eleven early cases, occurring 9.4 ± 5.2 months after transplantation and mostly (9/11) prior to 2010, had EBV+ diffuse large B-cell lymphomas. Lungs and/or thoracic lymph nodes were often involved (n = 8). Treatments included reduction of immune suppression (n = 11), rituximab (n = 8) and chemotherapy (n = 7). Two patients are in complete remission at 26 and 216 months. Nine patients died 8.0 ± 6.5 months after PTLD diagnosis. Of the 5 cases with late PTLD occurring 4-23 years (mean ± SD: 10.4 ± 7.7) after transplantation (and 3/5 after 2009), 1 had pulmonary lymphomatoid granulomatosis (only endothoracic case), 1 cutaneous large T-cell lymphoma, 2 had anaplastic large cell lymphomas, and 1 Hodgkin's disease. Two of the 5 cases were EBV-, including one followed by a second EBV+ PTLD after 8 years of complete remission. Two patients were alive and well (follow-up: 44 and 151 months), one having suffered from EBV-related cholestatic hepatitis 6 years after the PTLD.

CONCLUSION

Our small experience shows a trend toward (very) late occurrence, associated with more unusual clinicopathologic features, but not with a worse prognosis.

Post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorders: from epidemiology to pathogenesis-driven treatment

Post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorders (PTLDs) represent the most severe complication of both solid organ and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. The Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) is the main driver of PTLD, particularly those occurring early after transplantation. EBV-driven malignancies are associated with selective expression of latent viral proteins, but uncontrolled lytic replication may favor early phases of cell transformation. Besides immunodepression, persistent immune activation and chronic inflammation play an important role in both virus reactivation and expansion of EBV-infected B cells. EBV-induced immortalization requires the expression of telomerase. TERT, the rate-limiting component of the telomerase complex, is central in the switch from the lytic to the latent viral program, and TERT inhibition induces the EBV lytic cycle and cell death. Immunotherapy and combination of EBV lytic cycle inducers with antiviral drugs are promising strategies to improve the treatment of PTLD patients. This review is aimed at providing an update on the intriguing association between EBV and PTLD, mainly focusing on cases arising after kidney and liver transplantation, which account for the vast majority of transplants.

Detection of Epstein-Barr virus-specific memory CD4+ T cells using a peptide-based cultured enzyme-linked immunospot assay

Approaches to evaluate T-cell responses to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) include enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT), which quantifies cells capable of immediate interferon-γ secretion upon antigen stimulation. However, evaluation of expandable EBV-specific memory T cells in an ELISPOT format has not been described previously. We quantified EBV-specific T-cell precursors with high proliferative capacity by using a peptide-based cultured interferon-γ ELISPOT assay. Standard and cultured ELISPOT responses to overlapping peptide pools (15-mers overlapping by 11 amino acids) covering the lytic (BZLF1 and BMRF1) and latent (EBNA1, EBNA3a, EBNA3b, EBNA3c, LMP1 and LMP2) EBV proteins were evaluated in 20 healthy subjects with remote EBV infection and, for comparison, in four solid organ transplant recipients. Cultured ELISPOT responses to both lytic and latent EBV antigens were significantly higher than standard ELISPOT responses. The distribution of EBV-specific T-cell responses detected in healthy virus carriers showed more consistent cultured ELISPOT responses compared with standard ELISPOT responses. T-cell responses quantified by cultured ELISPOT were mainly mediated by CD4+ T cells and a marked pattern of immunodominance to latent-phase antigens (EBNA1 > EBNA3 family antigens > LMP2 > LMP1) was shown. Both the magnitude and distribution of EBV-specific T-cell responses were altered in solid organ transplant recipients; in particular, cultured ELISPOT responses were almost undetectable in a lung-transplanted patient with EBV-associated diseases. Analysis of T-cell responses to EBV by ELISPOT assays might provide new insights into the pathogenesis of EBV-related diseases and serve as new tools in the monitoring of EBV infection in immunocompromised patients.

Lymphoproliferative neoplasms of the lung: a review

CONTEXT

Diagnosis and classification of lymphomas are based on the morphologic, immunologic, and genetic features that the lesional cells share with their normal B and T lymphocyte counterparts. Primary pulmonary lymphomas account for 0.3% of primary lung neoplasms and less than 0.5% of all lymphomas.

OBJECTIVE

To describe and summarize the clinical and histopathologic features of the primary pulmonary lymphoma and secondary involvement of the lung by lymphoma.

DATA SOURCES

Peer-reviewed published literature and personal experience.

CONCLUSIONS

Diagnosis of clonal lymphoid proliferations in the lung has evolved owing to the greater utility of molecular and flow cytometric analysis of tissue. Further studies are needed to best define the clinical and prognostic features, as well as search for targeted therapy for these patients with rare neoplasms.

Posttransplant lymphoproliferative disease after lung transplantation

Posttransplant lymphoproliferative disease (PTLD) after lung transplantation occurs due to immunosuppressant therapy which limits antiviral host immunity and permits Epstein-Barr viral (EBV) replication and transformation of B cells. Mechanistically, EBV survives due to latency, escape from cytotoxic T cell responses, and downregulation of host immunity to EBV. Clinical presentation of EBV may occur within the lung allograft early posttransplantation or later onset which is more likely to be disseminated. Improvements in monitoring through EBV viral load have provided a means of earlier detection; yet, sensitivity and specificity of EBV load monitoring after lung transplantation may require further optimization. Once PTLD develops, staging and tissue diagnosis are essential to appropriate histopathological classification, prognosis, and guidance for therapy. The overall paradigm to treat PTLD has evolved over the past several years and depends upon assessment of risk such as EBV-naïve status, clinical presentation, and stage and sites of disease. In general, clinical practice involves reduction in immunosuppression, anti-CD20 biologic therapy, and/or use of plasma cell inhibition, followed by chemotherapy for refractory PTLD. This paper focuses upon the immunobiology of EBV and PTLD, as well as the clinical presentation, diagnosis, prognosis, and emerging treatments for PTLD after lung transplantation.

Case 2-2012: a 57-year-old woman with post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder after allogeneic stem cell transplantation for primary myelofibrosis

Article without abstract

An overview of viral oncology in Italy - report from the Pavia meeting on solid tumors

This is a report on some of the research activities currently ongoing in Italy as outlined at the “Viruses and solid tumors” meeting jointly organized by the Oncology Sections of IRCCS Policlinico “San Matteo” (Pavia) and IRCCS National Cancer Institute (Aviano), held in Pavia, Italy, on October 2011. Experts from the various disciplines involved in the study of the complex relationships between solid tumors and viruses met to discuss recent developments in the field and to report their personal contributions to the specified topics. Secondary end point was to establish a multidisciplinary work group specifically devoted to solid tumors and infectious agents, aimed to identify areas of common interest, promoting and establishing collaborative projects and programs, and to coordinate clinical and research activities. The group, which will be named IVOG (Italian Viral Oncology Group), will operate under the patronage of the various scientific societies of interest.