Clinical features and outcomes in patients with human immunodeficiency virus-negative, multicentric Castleman's disease: a single medical center experience

A prospective study of zanubrutinib, a Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitor, in relapsed/refractory idiopathic multicentric Castleman disease

Relapsed and refractory (R/R) idiopathic multicentric Castleman disease (iMCD) is a clinical challenge with no standard treatment. In this preliminary clinical trial, we investigated the efficacy and safety profiles of a Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitor (BTKi), zanubrutinib, in patients with R/R iMCD. The primary endpoint was the overall response rate at Week 12 according to the Castleman Disease Collaborative Network (CDCN) response criteria. The trial was terminated early due to a lack of treatment response in the first enrolled 5 patients. Although 3 patients achieved symptomatic response, none of the 5 patients had an overall response by Week 12. One patient had progressive disease and the other 4 had stable disease. The study drug was well tolerated without grade 2 or higher adverse events. Our findings suggest that BTKi therapy is not effective for iMCD, and further attempts at single-agent therapy with zanubrutinib or other BTKis for iMCD should be considered with caution and probably avoided. This trial was registered at www.clinialtrials.gov as #NCT04743687.

Retrospective cohort evaluation of non-HIV Castleman disease from a single academic center in Beijing, China

The purpose is to ascertain the clinical impact of Castleman disease (CD) by reassessment of the real-world data from Peking University First Hospital (PKUFH). The results will contribute to the standardization of diagnosis and treatment on CDs. Based on the last 15-year retrospective real-world data from Peking University First Hospital (PKUFH), we reclassified and re-evaluated the clinical and pathological information of patients with pathologically suspected diagnosis of CD. A total of 203 patients were included in our study, in which the diagnosis of CD was confirmed in 189 cases, including 118 patients with unicentric CD (UCD, n = 118, 62.4%) and 71 patients with multicentric CD (MCD, n = 71, 37.6%). A total of 44.1% (n = 52) of UCDs in our cohort were complicated with paraneoplastic pemphigus (PNP). The treatment of UCD is primarily surgical, with a 5-year overall survival (OS) of 88.1%. Patients with PNP had a poorer prognosis than those without PNP (82.9% (95% CI 123-178) vs 92.8% (95% CI 168-196), log-rank p = 0.041). The rate of concurrent systemic symptoms was 74.6% (n = 53), and renal involvement occurred in 49.3% (n = 35) MCD patients. The MCD treatments were mainly chemotherapy regimens, with a 5-year OS of 77.6% (95% CI, 143-213). Patients with UCD demonstrate a better overall prognosis than patients with MCD. But the prognosis of those complicated with PNP was poor. The differential diagnosis of MCD is extensive. MCD treatment in China is heterogeneous. The inaccessibility of anti-IL-6-targeted drugs in China may contribute to the poor prognosis for patients with MCD.A preprint has previously been published (Guo et al. 34).

Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Siltuximab for Australian Public Investment in the Rare Condition Idiopathic Multicentric Castleman Disease

OBJECTIVES

This paper presents an Australian model that formed part of the health technology assessment for public investment in siltuximab for the rare condition of idiopathic Multicentric Castleman Disease (iMCD) in Australia.

METHODS

Two literature reviews were conducted to identify the appropriate comparator and model structure. Survival gain based on available clinical trial data were modelled using an Excel-based model semi-Markov model including time-varying transition probabilities, an adjustment for trial crossover and long-term data. A 20-year horizon was taken, and an Australian healthcare system perspective was adopted, with both benefits and costs discounted at 5%. The model was informed with an inclusive stakeholder approach that included a review of the model by an independent economist, Australian clinical expert opinion and feedback from the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC). The price used in the economic evaluation reflects a confidential discounted price, which was agreed to with the PBAC.

RESULTS

An incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of A$84,935 per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) gained was estimated. At a willingness-to-pay threshold of A$100,000 per QALY, siltuximab has a 72.1% probability of being cost-effective compared with placebo and best supportive care. Sensitivity analyses results were most sensitive to the length of interval between administrations (from 3- to 6-weekly) and crossover adjustments.

CONCLUSION

Within a collaborative and inclusive stakeholder framework, the model submitted to the Australian PBAC found siltuximab to be cost-effective for the treatment of iMCD.

Unmet Clinical Needs in the Management of Idiopathic Multicentric Castleman Disease: A Consensus-based Position Paper From an ad hoc Expert Panel

Castleman disease describes a group of heterogeneous clinicopathological disorders now included in the tumor-like lesions with B-cell predominance of the World Health Organization classification. Managing idiopathic multicentric Castleman disease (iMCD) is challenging, because few systematic studies or comparative randomized clinical trials have been conducted. International, consensus evidence-based guidelines for iMCD were published in 2018, but gaps in the therapeutic options for difficult-to-treat patients, who do not respond to siltuximab and other conventional therapies, still exist. This article presents the results of group discussion among an ad hoc constituted Panel of Italian experts to identify and address unmet clinical needs (UCNs) in managing iMCD. Recommendations on the appropriateness of clinical decisions and proposals for new research concerning the identified UCNs were issued through formalized multiple-step procedures after a comprehensive analysis of the scientific literature. The following key UCNs were addressed: strengthening the diagnostic certainty in iMCD patients before planning first-line therapy; management of siltuximab therapy; choice and management of immune-modulating, or chemotherapy agents in patients resistant/intolerant to siltuximab therapy. While most of the conclusions reached by the Panel are consistent with the existing guidelines, some alternative therapeutic options were stressed, and the discussion contributed to bringing forth the issues that need further investigation. Hopefully, this comprehensive overview will improve the practice of iMCD and inform the design and implementation of new studies in the field.

A national, multicenter, retrospective study of Castleman disease in China implementing CDCN criteria

Background

Castleman disease (CD) is a group of rare and heterogenous lymphoproliferative disorders including unicentric CD (UCD), human herpesvirus-8(HHV-8)-associated multicentric CD (HHV8-MCD), and HHV-8-negative/idiopathic multicentric CD (iMCD). Knowledge of CD mainly comes from case series or retrospective studies, but the inclusion criteria of these studies vary because the Castleman Disease Collaborative Network (CDCN) diagnostic criteria for iMCD and UCD were not available until 2017 and 2020, respectively. Further, these criteria and guidelines have not been systematically evaluated.

Methods

In this national, multicenter, retrospective study implementing CDCN criteria, we enrolled 1634 CD patients (UCD, n = 903; MCD, n = 731) from 2000 to 2021 at 40 Chinese institutions to depict clinical features, treatment options, and prognostic factors of CD.

Findings

Among UCD, there were 162 (17.9%) patients with an MCD-like inflammatory state. Among MCD, there were 12 HHV8-MCD patients and 719 HHV-8-negative MCD patients, which included 139 asymptomatic MCD (aMCD) and 580 iMCD meeting clinical criteria. Of 580 iMCD patients, 41 (7.1%) met iMCD-TAFRO criteria, the others were iMCD-NOS. iMCD-NOS were further divided into iMCD-IPL (n = 97) and iMCD-NOS without IPL (n = 442). Among iMCD patients with first-line treatment data, a trend from pulse combination chemotherapy toward continuous treatment was observed. Survival analysis revealed significant differences between subtypes and severe iMCD (HR = 3.747; 95% CI: 2.112-6.649, p < 0.001) had worse outcome.

Interpretation

This study depicts a broad picture of CD, treatment options and survival information in China and validates the association between the CDCN's definition of severe iMCD and worse outcomes, requiring more intensive treatment.

Fundings

Beijing Municipal Commission of Science and Technology, CAMS Innovation Fund and National High Level Hospital Clinical Research Funding.

Clinical characteristics and outcomes of Castleman disease: a multicenter Consortium study of 428 patients with 15-year follow-up

Castleman disease (CD) has been reported as a group of poorly understood lymphoproliferative disorders, including unicentric CD (UCD) and idiopathic multicentric CD (iMCD) which are human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) negative and human herpes virus 8 (HHV-8) negative. The clinical and independent prognostic factors of CD remain poorly elucidated. We retrospectively collected the clinical information of 428 patients with HIV and HHV-8 negative CD from 12 large medical centers with 15-year follow-up. We analyzed the clinicopathologic features of 428 patients (248 with UCD and 180 with iMCD) with a median age of 41 years. The histology subtypes were hyaline-vascular (HV) histopathology for 215 patients (56.58%) and plasmacytic (PC) histopathology for 165 patients (43.42%). Most patients with UCD underwent surgical excision, whereas the treatment strategies of patients with iMCD were heterogeneous. The outcome for patients with UCD was better than that for patients with iMCD, 5-year overall survival (OS) rates were 95% and 74%, respectively. In further analysis, a multivariate analysis using a Cox regression model revealed that PC subtype, hepatomegaly and/or splenomegaly, hemoglobin ≤ 80 g/L, and albumin ≤ 30 g/L were independent prognostic factors of CD for OS. The model of iMCD revealed that age > 60 years, hepatomegaly and/or splenomegaly, and hemoglobin ≤ 80 g/L were independent risk factors. In UCD, single-factor analysis identified two significant risk factors: hemoglobin ≤ 100 g/L and albumin ≤ 30 g/L. Our study emphasizes the distinction of clinical characteristics between UCD and iMCD. The importance of poor risk factors of different clinical classifications may direct more precise and appropriate treatment strategies.

The disease course of Castleman disease patients with fatal outcomes in the ACCELERATE registry

Castleman disease (CD) describes a group of rare, potentially fatal lymphoproliferative disorders. To determine factors associated with mortality in CD, we analysed data from deceased patients in the ACCELERATE registry and compared them with matched controls. We analysed demographic, treatment and laboratory data from all deceased CD patients, matched controls and a subgroup of idiopathic multicentric Castleman disease (iMCD) patients. Of the 140 patients in ACCELERATE with a confirmed CD diagnosis, 10 had died. There were 72 patients with confirmed iMCD; six were deceased. The deceased CD cohort had more hospitalisations per year, higher overall hospitalisations and more days hospitalised per month, and received more treatment regimens per year than the matched‐control group. Analysis of laboratory values showed a significantly decreased absolute lymphocyte count at months 3 and 6 in the deceased cohort compared with controls. Among iMCD patients, there was a higher proportion of iMCD‐TAFRO (thrombocytopenia, anasarca, fever, reticulin myelofibrosis, renal dysfunction and organomegaly) cases in the deceased group. The deceased iMCD group had significantly lower immunoglobulin M, international normalised ratio and platelet count. These data demonstrate that there may be differences between patients who have fatal and non‐fatal outcomes, and provide preliminary suggestions for parameters to evaluate further.

A prospective, multicenter study of bortezomib, cyclophosphamide, and dexamethasone in relapsed/refractory iMCD

Relapsed and refractory (R/R) idiopathic Multicentric Castleman disease (iMCD) is a clinical challenge with few treatment options. In this first multicenter, prospective trial which implemented the recently published CDCN response criteria, we evaluated the efficacy and safety profiles of bortezomib-cyclophosphamide-dexamethasone (BCD) regimen in 24 R/R iMCD patients. By 6 months, 15 patients (62.5%) achieved overall treatment responses; four patients (16.7%) had stable disease and five patients (20.8%) suffered from progression of disease. Even when considering all patients, there were significant (p < .05) improvements in median symptom score, hemoglobin, platelet count, C-reactive protein (CRP) erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), IL-6, albumin, and immunoglobin G (IgG) after treatment. The regimen was well tolerated without grade 3 or higher adverse events. Estimated 1-year progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 79% and 92%, respectively. BCD regimen is an effective and safe treatment option for R/R iMCD patients. This trial was registered at www.chictr.org.cn as # ChiCTR1800019342.

An Immunocompetent HIV-Negative Elderly Patient with Low-Grade Fever, Generalized Lymphadenopathy, Splenomegaly, and Acute Phase Response: Do Not Forget Castleman Disease

Multicentric Castleman disease (MCD) is a rare lymphoproliferative disorder that mainly affects middle-aged patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. However, HIV-negative patients can also be affected representing a small proportion of the total MCD cases. Of note, recent studies from China in HIV-negative patients with MCD have suggested that the onset of the disease can be observed in younger age than previously thought. If undiagnosed and untreated, the MCD has a poor prognosis and may progress to lymphoma. We present an 82-year-old immunocompetent male patient who was admitted to our department because of low-grade fever, cachexia, anasarca, hepatosplenomegaly, and generalized lymphadenopathy. Laboratory findings showed anemia and increased markers of inflammation including hyperferritinemia and polyclonal hyperglobulinemia. Infectious causes including HIV were ruled out. Histological examination of a cervical lymph-node revealed lesions supportive of MCD diagnosis. Of note, the outer-zone plasmablasts' nuclei stained positive for human herpesvirus-8 (HHV8). The patient received 4 cycles of cyclophosphamide, vincristine, and dexamethasone with regression of all symptoms. This case underlines that HHV8-associated MCD should be considered as a rare cause of generalized lymphadenopathy even in HIV-negative immunocompetent patients when other causes have been appropriately excluded because a timely diagnosis can be life-saving.

FDG PET/CT Findings of Castleman Disease Assessed by Histologic Subtypes and Compared with Laboratory Findings

Castleman disease (CD) is a relatively rare lymphoproliferative disorder and the pathophysiology of the subtypes are incompletely understood. Fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) demonstrates the metabolic activity of inflammatory and tumorous conditions. The FDG uptake intensity and sites of involved lesions on FDG PET/CT were assessed by histologic subtypes, and compared to the patient's hemoglobin, platelet, albumin, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels. In total, 60 PET/CT images of 44 consecutive CD patients were included: 4 (9%) unicentric and 40 (91%) multicentric; 21 (48%) hyaline vascular subtype, 16 (36%) plasma cell, and 7 (16%) mixed or unclassified. The maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) and tumor-to-liver (T/L) ratio of involved lymph nodes (LNs) were 5.3 ± 2.4 (range, 1.6-11.5) and 2.8 ± 1.6 (range, 1.1-9.6), respectively, with no significant difference between the histologic subtypes. Higher number of involved LN stations and presence of extra-nodal involvement on FDG PET/CT were associated with thrombocytopenia, hypoalbuminemia, and elevated hs-CRP levels (p values < 0.05). FDG-avidity was not different by histologic subtypes and did not correlate with laboratory findings. However, the extent of nodal and extra-nodal involvement as noted on FDG PET/CT was significantly associated with abnormal laboratory findings in patients with CD.

AA amyloidosis associated with Castleman disease: A case report and review of the literature

RATIONALE

AA amyloidosis (AA) is caused by a wide variety of inflammatory states, but is infrequently associated with Castleman disease (CD). CD describes a heterogeneous group of hematologic disorders that share characteristic lymph node histopathology. CD can present with a solitary enlarged lymph node (unicentric CD, UCD) or with multicentric lymphadenopathy (MCD), constitutional symptoms, cytopenias, and multiple organ dysfunction due to an interleukin-6 driven cytokine storm.

PATIENT CONCERNS

We are reporting a case of a 26-year-old woman with no significant past medical history who presented with a 3-month history of fatigue and an unintentional 20-pound weight loss.

DIAGNOSIS

A CT-scan of the abdomen and pelvis revealed hepatosplenomegaly and a mesenteric mass. Congo Red staining from a liver biopsy showed apple-green birefringence and serum markers were suggestive of an inflammatory process. Post-excision examination of the resected mass revealed a reactive lymph node with follicular hyperplasia with kappa and lambda stains showing polyclonal plasmacytosis consistent with CD.

INTERVENTIONS

The patient underwent surgery to remove the affected lymph node.

OUTCOMES

IL-6, anemia, leukocytosis, and thrombocytosis resolved or normalized 2 weeks after resection; creatinine normalized 9 months postsurgery. Twenty two months post-surgery her IFN-γ normalized, her fatigue resolved, her proteinuria was reduced by >90% and she had returned to her baseline weight.

LESSONS

Our case and literature review suggest that patients presenting with UCD or MCD along with organ failure should prompt consideration of concurrent AA amyloidosis.

A novel FAS mutation with variable expressivity in a family with unicentric and idiopathic multicentric Castleman disease

FAS can be mutated in individuals diagnosed with unicentric and idiopathic multicentric Castleman disease. Defective lymphocyte apoptosis may be a pathological mechanism shared between Castleman disease and autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome.

Castleman disease in pediatrics: Insights on presentation, treatment, and outcomes from a two-site retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Castleman disease (CD) is an uncommon lymphoproliferative disorder that is rare in pediatric populations; the literature describing this population is sparse. We sought to describe pediatric CD, including unicentric CD (UCD) and human herpes virus-8 (HHV8)-negative multicentric CD (MCD), in a multi-institutional cohort.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed 24 patients, aged 0 to 26 years at diagnosis, who were diagnosed with CD between January 1, 2005, and May 16, 2017, at two tertiary children's hospitals. Demographic and clinical data were collected.

RESULTS

Most patients (75%, 18/24) presented with UCD. All patients with MCD were HHV8-negative. The most common histopathologic variant was hyaline vascular (75%, 18/24). Plasma cell variant occurred in 33% (2/6 [95% confidence intervals (CI), 4-78%]) of patients with HHV8-negative MCD and 17% (3/18 [95% CI, 4-41%]) of patients with UCD. Systemic symptoms were present in 4 of 6 of patients with HHV8-negative MCD and 8 of 18 of patients with UCD. Anemia and laboratory inflammation occurred in both UCD and MCD patients, with nonsignificantly higher rates of anemia and elevated C-reactive protein in MCD patients. All but two UCD patients underwent gross total resection as definitive therapy. Among HHV8-negative MCD patients, a combination of resection, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy was used. No UCD patients and three of six HHV8-negative MCD patients experienced disease progression/relapse prior to lasting remission. There were no deaths.

CONCLUSION

Pediatric patients with CD most commonly have unicentric, hyaline vascular variant disease. Pediatric patients with both UCD and MCD commonly have systemic inflammation and, despite risk of progression/relapse in MCD patients, ultimately have excellent survival.

Phase 2 study using oral thalidomide-cyclophosphamide-prednisone for idiopathic multicentric Castleman disease

Idiopathic multicentric Castleman disease (iMCD) is a rare lymphoproliferative disorder. The anti–interleukin 6 (IL-6) therapy siltuximab is not available everywhere, and is not effective for over one-half of patients. Alternative treatment approaches are urgently needed. In the first iMCD clinical trial directed against a target other than IL-6 signaling, we investigated a thalidomide-cyclophosphamide-prednisone (TCP) regimen in newly diagnosed iMCD patients. This single-center, single-arm, phase 2 study enrolled 25 newly diagnosed iMCD patients between June 2015 and June 2018. The TCP regimen (thalidomide 100 mg daily for 2 years; oral cyclophosphamide 300 mg/m2 weekly for 1 year; prednisone 1 mg/kg twice a week for 1 year) was administered for 2 years or until treatment failure. The primary end point was durable tumor and symptomatic response for at least 24 weeks. Twelve patients (48%) achieved the primary end point with no relapse, 3 patients (12%) demonstrated stable disease, and 10 patients (40%) were evaluated as treatment failure. Even when considering all patients, there were significant (P &lt; .05) improvements in median symptom score, IL-6 level, hemoglobin, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, albumin, and immunoglobulin G. Among responders, the median levels of all evaluated parameters significantly improved, to the normal range, after treatment. The regimen was well tolerated. One patient died of pulmonary infection and 1 patient had a grade 3 adverse event (rash); 2 patients died following disease progression. Estimated 1-year progression-free survival and overall survival were 60% and 88%, respectively. The TCP regimen is an effective and safe treatment of newly diagnosed iMCD patients, particularly when siltuximab is unavailable. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT03043105.

The Collaborative Network Approach: a model for advancing patient-centric research for Castleman disease and other rare diseases

There are ∼7000 rare diseases affecting 30 000 000 individuals in the U.S.A. 95% of these rare diseases do not have a single Food and Drug Administration-approved therapy. Relatively, limited progress has been made to develop new or repurpose existing therapies for these disorders, in part because traditional funding models are not as effective when applied to rare diseases. Due to the suboptimal research infrastructure and treatment options for Castleman disease, the Castleman Disease Collaborative Network (CDCN), founded in 2012, spearheaded a novel strategy for advancing biomedical research, the 'Collaborative Network Approach'. At its heart, the Collaborative Network Approach leverages and integrates the entire community of stakeholders - patients, physicians and researchers - to identify and prioritize high-impact research questions. It then recruits the most qualified researchers to conduct these studies. In parallel, patients are empowered to fight back by supporting research through fundraising and providing their biospecimens and clinical data. This approach democratizes research, allowing the entire community to identify the most clinically relevant and pressing questions; any idea can be translated into a study rather than limiting research to the ideas proposed by researchers in grant applications. Preliminary results from the CDCN and other organizations that have followed its Collaborative Network Approach suggest that this model is generalizable across rare diseases.

Novel insights and therapeutic approaches in idiopathic multicentric Castleman disease

Castleman disease (CD) describes a heterogeneous group of hematologic disorders that share characteristic lymph node histopathology. Patients of all ages present with either a solitary enlarged lymph node (unicentric CD) or multicentric lymphadenopathy (MCD) with systemic inflammation, cytopenias, and life-threatening multiple organ dysfunction resulting from a cytokine storm often driven by interleukin 6 (IL-6). Uncontrolled human herpesvirus-8 (HHV-8) infection causes approximately 50% of MCD cases, whereas the etiology is unknown in the remaining HHV-8-negative/idiopathic MCD cases (iMCD). The limited understanding of etiology, cell types, and signaling pathways involved in iMCD has slowed development of treatments and contributed to historically poor patient outcomes. Here, recent progress for diagnosing iMCD, characterizing etio-pathogenesis, and advancing treatments are reviewed. Several clinicopathological analyses provided the evidence base for the first-ever diagnostic criteria and revealed distinct clinical subtypes: thrombocytopenia, anasarca, fever, reticulin fibrosis/renal dysfunction, organomegaly (iMCD-TAFRO) or iMCD-not otherwise specified (iMCD-NOS), which are both observed all over the world. In 2014, the anti-IL-6 therapy siltuximab became the first iMCD treatment approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, on the basis of a 34% durable response rate; consensus guidelines recommend it as front-line therapy. Recent cytokine and proteomic profiling has revealed normal IL-6 levels in many patients with iMCD and potential alternative driver cytokines. Candidate novel genomic alterations, dysregulated cell types, and signaling pathways have also been identified as candidate therapeutic targets. RNA sequencing for viral transcripts did not reveal novel viruses, HHV-8, or other viruses pathologically associated with iMCD. Despite progress, iMCD remains poorly understood. Further efforts to elucidate etiology, pathogenesis, and treatment approaches, particularly for siltuximab-refractory patients, are needed.

Novel insights and therapeutic approaches in idiopathic multicentric Castleman disease

Castleman disease (CD) describes a heterogeneous group of hematologic disorders that share characteristic lymph node histopathology. Patients of all ages present with either a solitary enlarged lymph node (unicentric CD) or multicentric lymphadenopathy (MCD) with systemic inflammation, cytopenias, and life-threatening multiple organ dysfunction resulting from a cytokine storm often driven by interleukin 6 (IL-6). Uncontrolled human herpesvirus-8 (HHV-8) infection causes approximately 50% of MCD cases, whereas the etiology is unknown in the remaining HHV-8-negative/idiopathic MCD cases (iMCD). The limited understanding of etiology, cell types, and signaling pathways involved in iMCD has slowed development of treatments and contributed to historically poor patient outcomes. Here, recent progress for diagnosing iMCD, characterizing etio-pathogenesis, and advancing treatments are reviewed. Several clinicopathological analyses provided the evidence base for the first-ever diagnostic criteria and revealed distinct clinical subtypes: thrombocytopenia, anasarca, fever, reticulin fibrosis/renal dysfunction, organomegaly (iMCD-TAFRO) or iMCD-not otherwise specified (iMCD-NOS), which are both observed all over the world. In 2014, the anti-IL-6 therapy siltuximab became the first iMCD treatment approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, on the basis of a 34% durable response rate; consensus guidelines recommend it as front-line therapy. Recent cytokine and proteomic profiling has revealed normal IL-6 levels in many patients with iMCD and potential alternative driver cytokines. Candidate novel genomic alterations, dysregulated cell types, and signaling pathways have also been identified as candidate therapeutic targets. RNA sequencing for viral transcripts did not reveal novel viruses, HHV-8, or other viruses pathologically associated with iMCD. Despite progress, iMCD remains poorly understood. Further efforts to elucidate etiology, pathogenesis, and treatment approaches, particularly for siltuximab-refractory patients, are needed.

International, evidence-based consensus treatment guidelines for idiopathic multicentric Castleman disease

Castleman disease (CD) describes a group of heterogeneous hematologic disorders with characteristic histopathological features. CD can present with unicentric or multicentric (MCD) regions of lymph node enlargement. Some cases of MCD are caused by human herpesvirus-8 (HHV-8), whereas others are HHV-8-negative/idiopathic (iMCD). Treatment of iMCD is challenging, and outcomes can be poor because no uniform treatment guidelines exist, few systematic studies have been conducted, and no agreed upon response criteria have been described. The purpose of this paper is to establish consensus, evidence-based treatment guidelines based on the severity of iMCD to improve outcomes. An international Working Group of 42 experts from 10 countries was convened by the Castleman Disease Collaborative Network to establish consensus guidelines for the management of iMCD based on published literature, review of treatment effectiveness for 344 cases, and expert opinion. The anti-interleukin-6 monoclonal antibody siltuximab (or tocilizumab, if siltuximab is not available) with or without corticosteroids is the preferred first-line therapy for iMCD. In the most severe cases, adjuvant combination chemotherapy is recommended. Additional agents are recommended, tailored by disease severity, as second- and third-line therapies for treatment failures. Response criteria were formulated to facilitate the evaluation of treatment failure or success. These guidelines should help treating physicians to stratify patients based on disease severity in order to select the best available therapeutic option. An international registry for patients with CD (ACCELERATE, #NCT02817997) was established in October 2016 to collect patient outcomes to increase the evidence base for selection of therapies in the future.

Analysis of clinical characteristics and prognosis factors of 71 cases with HIV-negative Castleman's disease: hypoproteinemia is an unfavorable prognostic factor which should be treated appropriately

PURPOSE

HIV negative Castleman's disease has been reported as a group of poorly understood lymphoproliferative disorder, and we want to explore the clinical feature and prognosis factors of CD.

METHODS

We retrospectively collected the clinical information of 71 CD patients without HIV infection diagnosed in the first affiliated hospital of Zhengzhou university.

RESULTS

Different clinical classifications, including 35 patients (49.30%) with unicentric Castleman disease and 36 (50.7%) with multicentric Castleman disease, has their specific features compared with each other and unfavorable risk factors calculated by the univariate analysis. As for all of CD patients without HIV infection, there were 7 significant risk factors identified by the results of log-rank test, including clinical complaint, edema (hydrothorax, ascites, pelvic effusion), fatigue, anemia, hypoproteinemia and elevated serum β2-MG. Then, we created a Cox regression model of these clinical and statistic significant factors which indicated hypoproteinemia was an independent poor prognosis factors of CD in both univariate and multivariate analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study emphasized the distinction of clinical characteristics between UCD and MCD and the importance of different poor risk factors of different clinical classifications which may directed more precise and appropriate treatment strategy.

Clinical, laboratory and imaging findings in Castleman's disease - The subtype decides

Castleman's disease (CD) is a rare lymphoproliferative disorder with its distinct unicentric (uCD) and multicentric (mCD) entities. The present work aimed at characterizing CD in more detail. From the 775 articles found by a PubMed search, 1133 cases were extracted. Two own cases were included. UCD was identified in 719 (42% males) and mCD in 416 (63% males) cases. Age in uCD was 34±17 and in mCD 48±18years. The hyaline-vascular type predominated in uCD and the plasma cell type in mCD. Clinical symptoms were more common in mCD. The head and neck region was most frequently affected in uCD and the axillary region in mCD. Prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and human herpesvirus-8 (HHV-8) positivity was higher in mCD. In CT scans, high contrast enhancement and calcifications were more frequent in uCD (all p<0.0001). The two forms of CD not only differ markedly in their clinical, laboratory and imaging findings, but also in treatment response and prognosis.

The full spectrum of Castleman disease: 273 patients studied over 20 years

The spectrum of Castleman disease (CD) has considerably extended since its first description in 1956. Recently, an international collaborative working group has reached consensus on the diagnostic criteria and classification of CD. We herein report 273 patients with lymph node histopathology consistent with CD and investigate the newly established diagnostic criteria. Twenty of these patients with Castleman-like histopathology were removed from analyses, because they were diagnosed with an exclusionary disorder (18 with haematological malignancy). Among the 253 remaining patients, 57 were considered unicentric CD (UCD), 169 were multicentric CD associated with Human Herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8+MCD), including 140 patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and 29 patients without HIV infection, and 27 were HHV-8 negative/idiopathic multicentric CD (iMCD). 2-(¹⁸ F)fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography was useful in 62 patients for staging/classification of the disease and for excluding associated lymphoma. UCD was mainly associated with hyaline-vascular histopathological features, and most patients were asymptomatic. Of the 27 patients that we had originally diagnosed with iMCD, 26 met the newly established diagnostic criteria. Patients with iMCD and HHV-8+ MCD demonstrated similar characteristics, including fever, splenomegaly, cytopenia and inflammatory symptoms. However, the disease was more aggressive in HHV-8+ MCD, particularly in HIV-infected patients.

Clinical and pathological characteristics of HIV- and HHV-8-negative Castleman disease

Castleman disease (CD) comprises 3 poorly understood lymphoproliferative variants sharing several common histopathological features. Unicentric CD (UCD) is localized to a single region of lymph nodes. Multicentric CD (MCD) manifests with systemic inflammatory symptoms and organ dysfunction due to cytokine dysregulation and involves multiple lymph node regions. Human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) causes MCD (HHV-8-associated MCD) in immunocompromised individuals, such as HIV-infected patients. However, >50% of MCD cases are HIV and HHV-8 negative (defined as idiopathic [iMCD]). The clinical and biological behavior of CD remains poorly elucidated. Here, we analyzed the clinicopathologic features of 74 patients (43 with UCD and 31 with iMCD) and therapeutic response of 96 patients (43 with UCD and 53 with iMCD) with HIV-/HHV-8-negative CD compared with 51 HIV-/HHV-8-positive patients. Systemic inflammatory symptoms and elevated inflammatory factors were more common in iMCD patients than UCD patients. Abnormal bone marrow features were more frequent in iMCD (77.0%) than UCD (45%); the most frequent was plasmacytosis, which was seen in 3% to 30.4% of marrow cells. In the lymph nodes, higher numbers of CD3⁺ lymphocytes (median, 58.88 ± 20.57) and lower frequency of CD19⁺/CD5⁺ (median, 5.88 ± 6.52) were observed in iMCD patients compared with UCD patients (median CD3⁺ cells, 43.19 ± 17.37; median CD19⁺/CD5⁺ cells, 17.37 ± 15.80). Complete surgical resection is a better option for patients with UCD. Siltuximab had a greater proportion of complete responses and longer progression-free survival (PFS) for iMCD than rituximab. Centricity, histopathological type, and anemia significantly impacted PFS. This study reveals that CD represents a heterogeneous group of diseases with differential immunophenotypic profiling and treatment response.

Clinical spectrum and survival analysis of 145 cases of HIV-negative Castleman's disease: renal function is an important prognostic factor

Castleman’s disease (CD) is a rare lymphoproliferative disorder with clinical features and prognostic factors that are incompletely characterized. This retrospective single-center study reviewed the largest HIV-negative CD patient cohort (n = 145) to date. By clinical classification, we identified 69 patients (47.6%) as unicentric CD (UCD) and 76 patients (52.4%) as multicentric CD (MCD). Pathological classification identified 74 patients (51.0%) with the hyaline-vascular variant, 51 patients (35.2%) with the plasma-cell variant, and 20 patients (13.8%) with a mixed variant. After a median follow-up duration of 58 months (range, 1–180 months), the 1-year and 5-year survival rates were 95.1% and 91.0%, respectively. UCD patients exhibited significantly better survival (1-year and 5-year survival rates of 98.5% and 97.1%, respectively) compared with MCD patients (1-year and 5-year survival rates of 92.1% and 85.5%, respectively; p = 0.005). By univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses, the estimated glomerular filtration rate < 60 ml/min (with the MDRD equation; hazard ratio = 4.60; 95% confidence interval, 1.50–14.12; p = 0.008) was clinically significant and represented an independent predictor for death in MCD patients. In summary, this large-scale study suggests that UCD patients enjoy better survival than MCD patients and that renal function is an important prognostic factor for MCD patients.

Budd-Chiari syndrome, a rare complication of multicentric Castleman disease: A case report

A 39-year-old female presented to The First Affiliated Hospital of Jishou University (Jishou, Hunan) with a fever of unknown origin and progressive abdominal distension. Physical examination revealed generalized lymphadenopathy, multiple non-tender cutaneous nodules, hepatomegaly, splenomegaly and abdominal edema. An axillary lymph node biopsy indicated hyaline vascular type Castleman disease, and color Doppler and computed tomography scans suggested Budd-Chiari syndrome (BCS). Based on the abdominal distension and impairments of the liver and kidneys, an inferior vena cavography and balloon dilatation were performed, confirming the diagnosis of BCS and leading to symptomatic improvement. The patient commenced a combination chemotherapy regimen of cyclophosphamide (0.4 g; days 1-3), vindesine (4 mg; day 1) and prednisolone (100 mg; days 1-5), with no melioration of symptoms. Theprubicin was added to suppress the aggravation of the disease on day six of the chemotherapy cycle. The patient exhibited symptomatic remission for one week, however, she subsequently succumbed to intracranial hemorrhage and infections of the lung and intestine due to long-term myelosuppression following chemotherapy. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of BCS in a patient with multicentric Castleman disease without human immunodeficiency virus infection.