Antibody αPEP13h reacts with lymphangioleiomyomatosis cells in lung nodules

Lymphangioleiomyomatosis: a case report and review of diagnosis and treatment

Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) is a rare disease that generally affects young women and involves the abnormal proliferation of smooth muscle-like cells (LAM cells) in the lungs (pulmonary LAM) and extrapulmonary sites (extrapulmonary LAM). This disease is rare in males. It is hard to distinguish between lung cancer and pulmonary LAM, especially during early stages. Herein, we present a case of a 66-year-old man with a small nodule in the right upper lobe that was first diagnosed as a lung malignancy using a chest CT scan. After a wedge dissection, a pathologist performed a histologic and immunohistochemical examination, and a diagnosis of pulmonary LAM was made. We further performed a 518-gene panel analysis using next-generation sequencing, and only three genes, BARD1, BLM, and BRCA2, were found to have mutations. We also provide a summary of the diagnosis and treatment of this disease.

CA-125 in Disease Progression and Treatment of Lymphangioleiomyomatosis

BACKGROUND

Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) is a destructive lung disease of women caused by proliferation of neoplastic-like LAM cells, with mutations in the TSC1/2 tumor suppressor genes. Based on case reports, levels of cancer antigen 125 (CA-125), an ovarian cancer biomarker, can be elevated in patients with LAM. We hypothesized that elevated serum CA-125 levels seen in some patients with LAM were due to LAM, not other malignancies, and might respond to sirolimus treatment.

METHODS

Serum CA-125 levels were measured for 241 patients at each visit. Medical records were reviewed for co-morbidities, disease progression, and response to sirolimus treatment. CA-125 expression in LAM cells was determined by using immunohistochemical analysis.

RESULTS

Almost 25% of patients with LAM had at least one elevated serum CA-125 measurement. Higher serum CA-125 levels correlated with lower FEV₁, premenopausal status, and pleural effusion in a multivariate model (each P < .001). Serum CA-125 levels decreased following sirolimus treatment (P = .002). CA-125 and α-smooth muscle actin were co-expressed in LAM lung nodules.

CONCLUSIONS

Higher serum CA-125 levels were associated with pleural effusions and reduced pulmonary function and were decreased with sirolimus therapy. LAM cells express CA-125. Some elevated serum CA-125 levels may reflect serosal membrane involvement.

EPIDEMIOLOGY, PATHOGENESIS and DIAGNOSIS of LYMPHANGIOLEIOMYOMATOSIS

INTRODUCTION

Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) is a disease of women characterized by cystic lung destruction, lymphatic involvement, and renal angiomyolipomas.

AREAS COVERED

LAM is caused by proliferation of abnormal smooth muscle-like LAM cells containing mutations and perhaps epigenetic modifications of the TSC1 or TSC2 genes, which encode, respectively, hamartin and tuberin, two proteins controlling the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway. LAM occurs sporadically or in association with tuberous sclerosis complex. LAM may present with dyspnea, recurrent pneumothorax or chylothorax. Pulmonary function tests show reduced flow rates and lung diffusion capacity. Exercise testing may reveal hypoxemia and ventilatory limitation. The severity and progression of disease may be assessed by computer tomography, and pulmonary function and exercise testing. mTOR inhibitors, (e.g., sirolimus) are effective in stabilizing lung function, and reducing the size of chylous effusions, lymphangioleiomyomas, and angiomyolipomas.

EXPERT OPINION

Different clinical phenotypes including variable rates of disease progression and variable responses to therapy are seen in LAM patients. No one test is available that predicts the course of disease at the time of diagnosis. Further research regarding the molecular biology of LAM clinical phenotypes is warranted. Recent advances in the characterization of the pathogenesis of LAM are leading to the development of new therapies.

Wild type mesenchymal cells contribute to the lung pathology of lymphangioleiomyomatosis

Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) is a rare disease leading to lungs cysts and progressive respiratory failure. Cells of unknown origin accumulate in the lungs forming nodules and eventually resulting in lung cysts. These LAM cells are described as clonal with bi-allelic mutations in TSC-2 resulting in constitutive mTOR activation. However LAM nodules are heterogeneous structures containing cells of different phenotypes; we investigated whether recruited wild type cells were also present alongside mutation bearing cells. Cells were isolated from LAM lung tissue, cultured and characterised using microscopy, immunocytochemistry and western blotting. Fibroblast-like cells were identified in lung tissue using immunohistochemical markers. Fibroblast chemotaxis toward LAM cells was examined using migration assays and 3D cell culture. Fibroblast-like cells were obtained from LAM lungs: these cells had fibroblast-like morphology, actin stress fibres, full length tuberin protein and suppressible ribosomal protein S6 activity suggesting functional TSC-1/2 protein. Fibroblast Activation Protein, Fibroblast Specific Protein/S100A4 and Fibroblast Surface Protein all stained subsets of cells within LAM nodules from multiple donors. In a mouse model of LAM, tuberin positive host derived cells were also present within lung nodules of xenografted TSC-2 null cells. In vitro, LAM 621-101 cells and fibroblasts formed spontaneous aggregates over three days in 3D co-cultures. Fibroblast chemotaxis was enhanced two fold by LAM 621-101 conditioned medium (p=0.05), which was partially dependent upon LAM cell derived CXCL12. Further, LAM cell conditioned medium also halved fibroblast apoptosis under serum free conditions (p=0.03). Our findings suggest that LAM nodules contain a significant population of fibroblast-like cells. Analogous to cancer associated fibroblasts, these cells may provide a permissive environment for LAM cell growth and contribute to the lung pathology of LAM lung disease.