Challenges and pitfalls in the diagnosis of IgG4-related disease.

IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is a relatively novel fibroinflammatory condition characterized typically by dense lymphoplasmacytic inflammation, storiform fibrosis and obliterative venulitis, together with prominent IgG4+ plasma cells and an IgG4+/IgG+ plasma cell ratio of >40 %. The diagnosis is usually made on a combination of clinical and serological features together with characteristic radiological and histological appearances. The condition may be limited to a single tissue/organ (e.g., autoimmune pancreatitis) or may be multicentric in nature - four clinical 'patterns' of disease distribution have recently been described. The diagnosis of IgG4-RD can be challenging, particularly when the clinical presentation is unusual and/or when the histological features are not typical. A diagnosis of IgG4-RD may still be achieved in these situations, after careful clinicopathological discussion e.g., at a specialist multidisciplinary team meeting. However, a wide range of other conditions (neoplastic and non-neoplastic) can mimic IgG4-RD, clinically and/or on histological examination. The relationship between IgG4-RD and non-IgG4-RD associated conditions in some clinical situations is particularly complex. This review describes the role of histological examination in the diagnosis of IgG4-RD, discusses some of the practical difficulties that may be encountered and provides an insight into the range of non-IgG4-RD associated conditions that can mimic IgG4-RD on clinical and/or histological grounds. The requirement for interpretation of histological features in the context of the global clinical picture of the patient is highlighted and emphasized.

The Bowel Cancer Screening Programme Expert Board: an analysis of activity during 2017-2020.

AIMS: The inception of the National Health Service Bowel Cancer Screening Programme in England in 2006 highlighted the fact that the differential diagnosis between the presence of epithelial misplacement and adenocarcinoma occurring in colorectal adenomas is problematic. The pathology Expert Board (EB) was created to facilitate the review of difficult cases by a panel of three experienced gastrointestinal pathologists. This article describes a review of the work of the EB over a 4-year period (2017-2020). METHODS AND RESULTS: Four hundred and thirty polyps were referred to the EB from 193 pathologists and 76 hospitals during this time. The EB diagnosis was benign for 67%, malignant for 28%, and equivocal for 2% (with no consensus in the remainder). The most common diagnosis change made by the EB was from malignant to benign-made in 50% of polyps referred with an initially malignant diagnosis. The level of agreement between the individual EB members was 'good' (kappa score of 0.619) but that between the EB and the referring diagnosis was 'poor' (kappa score of 0.149). Data from one EB member indicated that the presence of lamina propria, features of torsion and cytological similarity between the superficial and deep glands were predictors of a benign diagnosis, whereas the presence of irregular neoplastic glands, a desmoplastic reaction and lymphovascular invasion were commonly observed features in polyps with a malignant diagnosis. CONCLUSION: Diagnostic agreement between EB members is better than that between the EB and referring pathologists. There was a consistent trend for the EB to change diagnoses from malignant to benign.

DNA mismatch repair protein immunohistochemistry - an illustrated guide.

DNA mismatch repair (MMR) is an essential physiological process for correcting mutations occurring during DNA replication. Deficient MMR (dMMR) leads to increased tumour mutational burden, with a heightened risk of neoplasia. Demonstration of dMMR via the immunohistochemical assessment of MMR proteins is useful when screening for inherited cancer syndromes (especially Lynch syndrome) and for the prediction of clinical cancer response to conventional chemotherapy and novel immunotherapies. Identification of dMMR may also be helpful in other situations e.g. when considering a diagnosis of conventional dysplasia in sessile serrated lesions of the large intestine. This article provides a practical illustrated guide to DNA MMR interpretation, using a series of clinical examples.

The spectrum of serrated colorectal lesions-new entities and unanswered questions.

Hyperplastic polyps (HPs) of the colon and rectum were historically thought not to be associated with an increased risk of development of colorectal cancer (CRC). The recognition of variants of serrated colorectal lesions that possessed relatively subtle but significant morphological differences from those of HPs and that could be associated with epithelial dysplasia and CRC led to the characterisation of sessile serrated lesions (SSLs) and traditional serrated adenomas (TSAs). These links were supported by the identification of genetic alterations that are commonly found in HPs, SSLs, TSAs, and CRC, e.g. BRAF and KRAS mutations. The 'serrated pathway' to CRC may progress faster than the traditional 'adenoma-carcinoma sequence', underlining the importance of identifying these lesions. The diagnostic histological criteria for SSLs have since been more clearly defined, in parallel with a drive to increase the recognition of these lesions at endoscopy. The existence of lesions showing overlapping morphological and molecular features with those of HPs, SSLs and TSAs has most recently been highlighted-including mucin-rich TSA, serrated tubulovillous adenoma, and those showing mixed histological features, e.g. comprising differing combinations of HP, SSL, and TSA. Morphological and molecular studies of this range of lesions are providing insights into the relationships of serrated colorectal lesions with each other and with CRC. This article provides an overview of the current understanding of serrated colorectal lesions, including a discussion of those with overlapping and mixed features.

Current dilemmas in the pathological staging of colorectal cancer: the results of a national survey.

AIMS: Accurate and consistent pathological staging of colorectal carcinoma (CRC) in resection specimens is especially crucial to guide adjuvant therapy. The aim of this study was to assess whether certain staging scenarios yield discordant opinions in the setting of current international and UK national guidelines. METHODS AND RESULTS: Members of the UK Gastrointestinal Pathology External Quality Assurance Scheme were invited to complete an anonymous, on-line survey that presented 15 scenarios related to pT or pR staging of CRC, and three questions about the respondent. The survey invitation was e-mailed to 405 pathologists, and 184 (45%) responses were received. The respondents had discordant opinions on whether and how CRC pT or pR staging is affected by: acellular mucin lakes and duration after short-course radiotherapy; the nature of the carcinoma at a resection margin or peritoneal surface; and microscopic evidence of perforation. This discordance was rarely related to the respondent's occupation type, and was not related to duration of work as a consultant or the staging guidelines used. CONCLUSIONS: This survey confirms that there remain several clinically critical but unresolved pT and pR staging issues for CRC. These issues therefore deserve attention in future versions of international and national staging guidelines.

Consensus recommendations for the standardized histopathological evaluation and reporting after radical oesophago-gastrectomy (HERO consensus).

BACKGROUND: Variation in the approach, radicality, and quality of gastroesophageal surgery impacts patient outcomes. Pathological outcomes such as lymph node yield are routinely used as surrogate markers of surgical quality, but are subject to significant variations in histopathological evaluation and reporting. A multi-society consensus group was convened to develop evidence-based recommendations for the standardized assessment of gastroesophageal cancer specimens. METHODS: A consensus group comprised of surgeons, pathologists, and oncologists was convened on behalf of the Association of Upper Gastrointestinal Surgery of Great Britain & Ireland. Literature was reviewed for 17 key questions. Draft recommendations were voted upon via an anonymous Delphi process. Consensus was considered achieved where >70% of participants were in agreement. RESULTS: Consensus was achieved on 18 statements for all 17 questions. Twelve strong recommendations regarding preparation and assessment of lymph nodes, margins, and reporting methods were made. Importantly, there was 100% agreement that the all specimens should be reported using the Royal College of Pathologists Guidelines as the minimum acceptable dataset. In addition, two weak recommendations regarding method and duration of specimen fixation were made. Four topics lacked sufficient evidence and no recommendation was made. CONCLUSIONS: These consensus recommendations provide explicit guidance for gastroesophageal cancer specimen preparation and assessment, to provide maximum benefit for patient care and standardize reporting to allow benchmarking and improvement of surgical quality.

British Society of Gastroenterology position statement on serrated polyps in the colon and rectum.

Serrated polyps have been recognised in the last decade as important premalignant lesions accounting for between 15% and 30% of colorectal cancers. There is therefore a clinical need for guidance on how to manage these lesions; however, the evidence base is limited. A working group was commission by the British Society of Gastroenterology (BSG) Endoscopy section to review the available evidence and develop a position statement to provide clinical guidance until the evidence becomes available to support a formal guideline. The scope of the position statement was wide-ranging and included: evidence that serrated lesions have premalignant potential; detection and resection of serrated lesions; surveillance strategies after detection of serrated lesions; special situations-serrated polyposis syndrome (including surgery) and serrated lesions in colitis; education, audit and benchmarks and research questions. Statements on these issues were proposed where the evidence was deemed sufficient, and re-evaluated modified via a Delphi process until >80% agreement was reached. The Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations (GRADE) tool was used to assess the strength of evidence and strength of recommendation for finalised statements. Key recommendation: we suggest that until further evidence on the efficacy or otherwise of surveillance are published, patients with sessile serrated lesions (SSLs) that appear associated with a higher risk of future neoplasia or colorectal cancer (SSLs ≥10 mm or serrated lesions harbouring dysplasia including traditional serrated adenomas) should be offered a one-off colonoscopic surveillance examination at 3 years (weak recommendation, low quality evidence, 90% agreement).

Increases in IgE, Eosinophils, and Mast Cells Can be Used in Diagnosis and to Predict Relapse of IgG4-Related Disease.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: IgG subclass 4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is characterized by increased serum levels of IgG4 and infiltration of biliary, pancreatic, and other tissues by IgG4-positive plasma cells. We assessed the prevalence of allergy and/or atopy, serum, and tissue IgE antibodies, and blood and tissue eosinophils in patients with IgG4-RD. We investigated the association between serum IgE and diagnosis and relapse of this disease. METHODS: We performed a prospective study of 48 patients with IgG4-RD, 42 patients with an increased serum level of IgG4 with other inflammatory and autoimmune conditions (disease control subjects), and 51 healthy individuals (healthy control subjects) recruited from Oxford, United Kingdom from March 2010 through March 2014, and followed for a median of 41 months (range, 3-73 months). Serum levels of immunoglobulin were measured at diagnosis, during steroid treatment, and at disease relapse for patients with IgG4-RD; levels at diagnosis were compared with baseline levels of control subjects. Allergen-specific IgEs were measured using the IgE ImmunoCAP. Levels and distribution of IgG4 and IgE antibodies in lymphoid, biliary, and pancreatic tissues from patients with IgG4-RD and disease control subjects were measured by immunohistochemistry. We analyzed data using the Spearman rank correlation and receiver operating characteristic curves. RESULTS: Serum levels of IgG4 increased to 1.4 g/L or more, and IgE increased to 125 kIU/L or more, in 81% and 54% of patients with IgG4-RD, respectively, compared with 6% and 16% of healthy control subjects (P < .0001). Peripheral blood eosinophilia was detected in 38% of patients with IgG4-RD versus 9% of healthy control subjects (P = .004). Of patients with IgG4-RD, 63% had a history of allergy and 40% had a history of atopy with an IgE-specific response; these values were 60% and 53% in patients with increased serum levels of IgE (P < .05). Level of IgE at diagnosis >480 kIU/L distinguished patients with IgG4-RD from disease control subjects with 86% specificity, 36% sensitivity, and a likelihood ratio of 3.2. Level of IgE at diagnosis >380 kIU/L identified patients with disease relapse with 88% specificity, 64% sensitivity, and a likelihood ratio of 5.4. IgE-positive mast cells and eosinophilia were observed in lymphoid, biliary, and pancreatic tissue samples from 50% and 86% of patients with IgG4-RD, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: In a prospective study, we associated IgG4-RD with allergy, atopy, eosinophilia, increased serum levels of IgE, and IgE-positive mast cells in lymphoid, biliary, and pancreatic tissue. An IgE-mediated allergic response therefore seems to develop in most patients with IgG4-RD; levels of IgE might be used in diagnosis and predicting relapse.

IgG4-related disease-experience of 100 consecutive cases from a specialist centre.

AIMS: To describe the features of 100 consecutive cases referred to a single UK institution in which a diagnosis of IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) was under consideration. METHODS AND RESULTS: The histological features were reviewed by a single histopathologist, and cases were categorized according to the 2012 Boston criteria: Category 1-histologically highly suggestive of IgG4-RD; Category 2-probable histopathological features of IgG4-RD; and Category 3-insufficient histopathological evidence of IgG4-RD. A 'global assessment' was performed with the available clinical information: Assessment group 1-'definite/very likely IgG4-RD'; Assessment group 2-'possible IgG4-RD'; Assessment group 3-'not IgG4-RD'; and Assessment group 4-insufficient information. The mean IgG4+ plasma cell count and IgG4+/IgG+ ratio were highest in Category 1 [134/high-power field (HPF); 57%] and Assessment group 1 (113/HPF; 52%), and lowest in Category 3 (11/HPF; 18%) and Assessment group 3 (43/HPF; 31%) (Category comparison of IgG4+ count and ratio, both P < 0.001; Assessment group comparison of IgG4+ count, P < 0.0002; and Assessment group comparison of ratio, P = 0.04). A non-IgG4-RD diagnosis was rare in Category 1 (7%) but common in Category 2 (60%) and Category 3 (47%). Stromal reactions to neoplasia and chronic oral ulceration were simulants of IgG4-RD. CONCLUSIONS: The Boston criteria are linked to the likelihood of IgG4-RD. Other conditions may show some histological features of IgG4-RD. The likelihood of IgG4-RD is much greater when the histological features reach the threshold for Category 1 than when they reach the thresholds for Categories 2 and 3. Despite the utility of the Boston criteria, this study highlights the crucial importance of careful clinicopathological correlation when a diagnosis of IgG4-RD is under consideration.

Tumour infiltrating lymphocytes correlate with improved survival in patients with oesophageal adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Oesophageal adenocarcinoma (OAC) is increasingly common in the west, and survival remains poor at 10-15 % at 5 years. Immune responses are increasingly implicated as a determining factor of tumour progression. The ability of lymphocytes to recognise tumour antigens provides a mechanism for a host immune attack against cancer providing a potential treatment strategy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Tumour infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs: CD3+, CD4+, CD8+ and FOXp3+) were assessed by immunohistochemistry using tissue microarrays in a contemporary and homogeneous cohort of OAC patients (n = 128) undergoing curative treatment. RESULTS: Multivariate analysis identified three independent prognostic factors for improved cancer-specific survival (CSS): increased CD8+ TILs (p = 0.003), completeness of resection (p < 0.0001) and lower pathological N stage (p < 0.0001). Independent prognostic factors for favourable disease-free survival included surgery-only treatment (p = 0.015), completeness of resection (p = 0.001), increased CD8+ TILs (p < 0.0001) and reduced pathological N stage (p < 0.0001). Higher levels of TILs in the pathological specimen were associated with significant pathological response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). On multivariate analysis increased levels of CD4+ (p = 0.017) and CD8+ TILs (p = 0.005) were associated with significant local tumour regression and lymph node downstaging, respectively. DISCUSSION: Our results establish an association of TILs and survival in OAC, as seen in other solid tumours, and identify particular TIL subsets that are present at higher levels in patients who responded to NAC compared to non-responders. These findings highlight potential therapeutic strategies in EAC based on utilising the host immunological response and highlight the immune responses biomarker potential.

Elevated Serum IgG4 Levels in Diagnosis, Treatment Response, Organ Involvement, and Relapse in a Prospective IgG4-Related Disease UK Cohort.

OBJECTIVES: Elevated serum immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4) levels have been associated with autoimmune pancreatitis and IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) for over a decade. However, an elevated serum IgG4 is not specific for the disease. There have been inconsistent reports of its use in diagnosis, as a marker of disease relapse, and its relationship to organ involvement in retrospective cohorts. The aims of this study were to ascertain conditions that are associated with an elevated serum IgG4 and to investigate the role of IgG4 in diagnosis, relapse, and organ involvement in a prospective cohort of patients with IgG4-RD. METHODS: We evaluated serum IgG4 measurements in the Oxford Immunology Laboratory over 6 years. Patients in whom serum IgG4 was requested to differentiate IgG4-RD from other diseases were recruited into a longitudinal follow-up study to determine final diagnosis. In a prospective cohort of IgG4-RD patients, organ involvement, response to therapy, and disease relapse were determined. RESULTS: Two thousand and sixty-seven samples from 1,510 patients had serum IgG4 measured. Of these, IgG4 was elevated (≥1.4 g l(-1)) in 243 (16.1%) patients. The main indication (85.6%) was to distinguish between IgG4-RD and non-IgG4-RD conditions. Only 5.1% of patients who had serum IgG4 measured for this purpose had a final diagnosis of IgG4-RD. Of those with an elevated serum IgG4, 22.4% met IgG4-RD diagnostic criteria. Serum IgG4 was elevated in 48 (82.8%) of IgG4-RD patients. An IgG4 cutoff of 1.4 g l(-1) gave a sensitivity of 82.8% and specificity of 84.7% to diagnose IgG4-RD. Increasing this to 2.8 g l(-1) increased specificity to 96.2% and negative predictive value to 97.7%, with a lower sensitivity of 56.9% and positive predictive value of 44.5%. Serum IgG4 levels fell with corticosteroid therapy, but this was not disease-specific. A serum IgG4 of ≥2.8 g l(-1) at diagnosis was associated with multi-organ involvement and risk of relapse. CONCLUSIONS: Serum IgG4 levels are elevated in multiple non-IgG4-RD inflammatory and malignant conditions, with less than one-quarter of those with an elevated IgG4 meeting IgG4-RD diagnostic criteria. A serum IgG4 of ≥2.8 g l(-1) is useful in distinguishing between IgG4-RD and non-IgG4-RD diagnoses, predicting multiple-organ involvement and risk of relapse in IgG4-RD.

Lymph node granulomas in immunoglobulin G4-related disease.

AIMS: Immunoglobulin (Ig)G4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is an increasingly recognized fibroinflammatory condition that commonly exhibits multisystem involvement, with localized (e.g. inflammatory pseudotumours that can mimic malignancy) or diffuse (leading to organ dysfunction) patterns of tissue involvement. The 2012 Boston criteria have standardized the histopathological approach to the diagnosis of IgG4-RD and require one or more of the cardinal morphological features with prominence of IgG4(+) plasma cells and an IgG4(+) /IgG(+) plasma cell ratio of at least 40%. The relative prevalence of the morphological criteria varies between anatomical sites, but granulomas are rarely found and, indeed, their presence would usually deter a pathologist from making this diagnosis. The aim was to characterize two cases of IgG4-RD in which granulomas were present and to highlight this as an unusual feature of the condition. METHODS AND RESULTS: We describe two cases in which the features of IgG4-RD were present within lymph nodes, together with granulomas. This is a recognized but rare morphological pattern of IgG4-RD. CONCLUSIONS: While an unusual finding, the presence of granulomas should not preclude a diagnosis of IgG4-RD in the appropriate clinicopathological context.

Risk assessment in pT1 colorectal cancer.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common malignancy worldwide and tumour stage is closely related to clinical outcome. A small but significant proportion of submucosal-invasive (ie, pT1) CRC are associated with regional lymph node metastases (LNM) and a worse prognosis. The likelihood of LNM in pT1 CRC needs to be balanced against the operative risk and costs of surgical resection when determining the best patient management. A wide range of histopathological and clinical factors may affect LNM risk in this setting. This script provides a comprehensive overview of the tumour and patient-associated features that have been linked to LNM risk in pT1 CRC. Some of the features are well established within the literature and are included in published guidelines, while others are novel and emerging in nature. Odds ratios for LNM that are associated with key predictive features are provided where appropriate, and published models developed as an aid to the calculation of LNM risk are discussed.

Chronic atrophic gastritis - An overlooked association with severe vitamin B12 deficiency: A case report and rapid review of literature.

Current guidelines recommend surveillance for gastric adenocarcinoma in patients with extensive chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG), which is considered a premalignant condition. Although the association between vitamin B12 deficiency and CAG is well described, the indication for endoscopic investigation is only advised in patients with pernicious anaemia. Our case did not have evidence of autoimmune or H. pylori infection but despite this she had CAG. We suggest considering gastroscopy for severe, unexplained vitamin B12 deficiency, particularly in this patient group.

Pulmonary tumour thrombotic microangiopathy mimicking immunotherapy-associated pneumonitis.

We present a case of pulmonary tumour thrombotic microangiopathy (PTTM) in a patient on adjuvant immunotherapy for resected triple negative breast cancer. The patient presented with deranged liver function tests and subsequently developed severe hypoxia and thrombocytopaenia, with right heart failure. The primary differential diagnosis considered was immunotherapy-associated hepatitis and pneumonitis. Despite organ support, the patient deteriorated rapidly and died of respiratory failure. As is often the case with PTTM, the diagnosis was only found at postmortem. PTTM should be considered in patients with a background of cancer (and may be more common in certain subtypes) who present with this unusual combination of clinical features. While the condition carries an extremely poor prognosis, prompter recognition for future patients may allow consideration of novel treatments.

Microvesicular hyperplastic polyp and sessile serrated lesion of the large intestine: a biological continuum or separate entities?

The range of lesions with a serrated appearance within the large intestine has expanded and become more complex over the last 30 years. The majority of these were previously known as metaplastic polyps but are today called hyperplastic polyps (HPs). HPs show two main growth patterns: microvesicular and goblet cell-rich. The former type shows morphological and molecular similarities (eg, BRAF mutations) to the more recently described sessile serrated lesion (SSL). In this review, we debate whether these lesions represent a biological spectrum or separate entities. Whichever view is held, microvesicular HPs and SSLs are distinct from the goblet cell-rich HP and the traditional serrated adenoma (TSA), which may themselves share molecular changes (eg, KRAS mutations), with the goblet cell-rich HP representing a precursor to the TSA. Both SSLs and the goblet cell-rich HP-TSA pathway are routes to colorectal cancer within the serrated pathway and overlaps between them can occur, for example, a (BRAF-mutated) TSA may arise from an SSL.

Consensus statement on the pathology of IgG4-related disease.

IgG4-related disease is a newly recognized fibro-inflammatory condition characterized by several features: a tendency to form tumefactive lesions in multiple sites; a characteristic histopathological appearance; and-often but not always-elevated serum IgG4 concentrations. An international symposium on IgG4-related disease was held in Boston, MA, on 4-7 October 2011. The organizing committee comprising 35 IgG4-related disease experts from Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Holland, Canada, and the United States, including the clinicians, pathologists, radiologists, and basic scientists. This group represents broad subspecialty expertise in pathology, rheumatology, gastroenterology, allergy, immunology, nephrology, pulmonary medicine, oncology, ophthalmology, and surgery. The histopathology of IgG4-related disease was a specific focus of the international symposium. The primary purpose of this statement is to provide practicing pathologists with a set of guidelines for the diagnosis of IgG4-related disease. The diagnosis of IgG4-related disease rests on the combined presence of the characteristic histopathological appearance and increased numbers of IgG4⁺ plasma cells. The critical histopathological features are a dense lymphoplasmacytic infiltrate, a storiform pattern of fibrosis, and obliterative phlebitis. We propose a terminology scheme for the diagnosis of IgG4-related disease that is based primarily on the morphological appearance on biopsy. Tissue IgG4 counts and IgG4:IgG ratios are secondary in importance. The guidelines proposed in this statement do not supplant careful clinicopathological correlation and sound clinical judgment. As the spectrum of this disease continues to expand, we advocate the use of strict criteria for accepting newly proposed entities or sites as components of the IgG4-related disease spectrum.