CD137 is expressed in follicular dendritic cell tumors and in classical Hodgkin and T-cell lymphomas: diagnostic and therapeutic implications.

CD137 (also known as 4-1BB and TNFRSF9) is a member of the tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily. Originally identified as a costimulatory molecule expressed by activated T cells and NK cells, CD137 is also expressed by follicular dendritic cells, monocytes, mast cells, granulocytes, and endothelial cells. Anti-CD137 immunotherapy has recently shown promise as a treatment for solid tumors and lymphoid malignancies in preclinical models. We defined the expression of CD137 protein in both normal and neoplastic hematolymphoid tissue. CD137 protein is expressed by follicular dendritic cells in the germinal center and scattered paracortical T cells, but not by normal germinal-center B cells, bone marrow progenitor cells, or maturing thymocytes. CD137 protein is expressed by a select group of hematolymphoid tumors, including classical Hodgkin lymphoma, T-cell and NK/T-cell lymphomas, and follicular dendritic cells neoplasms. CD137 is a novel diagnostic marker of these tumors and suggests a possible target for tumor-directed antibody therapy.

Identification and Targeting of the Developmental Blockade in Extranodal Natural Killer/T-cell Lymphoma.

Extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma (ENKTL) is an aggressive, rare lymphoma of natural killer (NK) cell origin with poor clinical outcomes. Here we used phenotypic and molecular profiling, including epigenetic analyses, to investigate how ENKTL ontogeny relates to normal NK-cell development. We demonstrate that neoplastic NK cells are stably, but reversibly, arrested at earlier stages of NK-cell maturation. Genes downregulated in the most epigenetic immature tumors were associated with polycomb silencing along with genomic gain and overexpression of EZH2. ENKTL cells exhibited genome-wide DNA hypermethylation. Tumor-specific DNA methylation gains were associated with polycomb-marked regions, involving extensive gene silencing and loss of transcription factor binding. To investigate therapeutic targeting, we treated novel patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models of ENKTL with the DNA hypomethylating agent, 5-azacytidine. Treatment led to reexpression of NK-cell developmental genes, phenotypic NK-cell differentiation, and prolongation of survival. These studies lay the foundation for epigenetic-directed therapy in ENKTL. SIGNIFICANCE: Through epigenetic and transcriptomic analyses of ENKTL, a rare, aggressive malignancy, along with normal NK-cell developmental intermediates, we identified that extreme DNA hypermethylation targets genes required for NK-cell development. Disrupting this epigenetic blockade in novel PDX models led to ENKTL differentiation and improved survival. This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 85.

Immunohistochemical characterization of nasal-type extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma using a tissue microarray: an analysis of 84 cases.

Nasal-type extranodal natural killer (NK)/T-cell lymphoma is an uncommon malignancy. By using a tissue microarray, we characterized 84 cases of extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma with regard to expression of 18 immunohistochemical markers and the presence of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) RNA. In our series, CD2 was positive in 69 (93%) of 74 cases, CD3 in 68 (84%) of 81, CD5 in 22 (27%) of 81, CD20 in 0 (0%) of 82, CD29 in 75 (91%) of 82, CD30 in 29 (35%) of 84, CD43 in 81 (96%) of 84, CD54 in 58 (72%) of 81, CD56 in 46 (58%) of 79, CD62L in 23 (28%) of 83, CD183 in 66 (80%) of 83, BCL2 in 33 (39%) of 84, cutaneous lymphocyte antigen in 21 (25%) of 84, granzyme B in 70 (83%) of 84, Ki-67 in 59 (71%) of 83, linker for activation of T cells in 60 (71%) of 84, perforin in 66 (86%) of 77, TIA1 in 76 (90%) of 84, and EBV in 73 (87%) of 84. Hierarchical cluster analysis separated primary cutaneous cases from cases manifesting in other sites based on lower expression of the cell adhesion molecule CD54.

Hydroa-like lymphoma with CD56 expression.

Hydroa-like lymphoma is an extremely rare and aggressive lymphoma described in children from Latin American countries (Mexico, Guatemala and Peru) and Asia (Japan, Korea and Taiwan). Clinically, patients present with vesicles, ulcers and scars occurring on both sun-exposed and non-sun-exposed areas. In contrast to classical hydroa vacciniforme, hydroa-like lymphoma is associated with systemic lymphoma of T-cell type that expresses either CD4 or CD8. We report the findings from two unusual cases of hydroa-like lymphoma that, unlike the cases described thus far in the literature, express CD56 and resemble natural killer cell lymphomas. Two 9-year-old boys presented with clinical histories of waxing and waning ulcerative blistering lesions since 3 years of age. Histological examination of skin biopsies from both cases showed periappendigeal infiltrates of atypical lymphocytes. Immunohistochemical studies showed that the cells were highlighted by markers for CD3, CD56 and CD30, but did not express CD4 and CD8. Both patients were alive with disease 1 year later. Hydroa-like lymphoma with natural killer-cell phenotype may have a similar outcome to T-cell derived hydroa-like lymphoma, but the prognosis appears to be better than classic NK lymphomas, which in general behave in an aggressive fashion.

Programmed death-1 ligands PD-L1 and PD-L2 show distinctive and restricted patterns of expression in lymphoma subtypes.

The success of immunotherapy using immune checkpoint blockade in solid tumors and in relapsed/refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia holds promise for targeted therapy in hematologic malignancies. Because efficacy of immunomodulatory therapy is correlated with numbers of cells that express programmed death (PD-1) ligands, we evaluated the expression of PD-L1 and PD-L2 proteins using immunohistochemistry in more than 702 diagnostic lymphoma biopsies. In classical Hodgkin lymphoma, PD-L1 and PD-L2 were expressed in 82% and 41% of cases, respectively, and PD-L1 but not PD-L2 expression correlated with Epstein-Barr virus in tumor cells. PD-L1 staining was detected in 80% of anaplastic large cell lymphoma, angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, and follicular dendritic cell sarcoma; 75% of nodular lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin lymphoma; 53% of primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma; 39% of extranodal NK/T cell lymphoma; 26% of peripheral T-cell lymphoma; 10% of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma; and very rare examples of mantle, marginal zone, and small lymphocytic lymphomas. PD-L2 staining was present in 78% of primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma but in fewer cases in all other categories including 40% of follicular dendritic cell sarcoma and 7% of anaplastic large cell lymphoma. Our results confirm and extend prior studies of PD-L1 and provide new data of PD-L2 expression in lymphomas. The differential expression patterns in some tumor types and the expression of PD-L2 in the absence of PD-L1 raise the possibility of targeted therapy for additional subsets of patients with lymphoma.

Granulysin, a novel marker for extranodal NK/T cell lymphoma, nasal type.

Granulysin is a cytolytic protein expressed in cytotoxic T and natural killer (NK) cells. Abnormal serum levels of granulysin in lymphomas with NK and cytotoxic phenotype have been shown to correlate with tumour progression. In this study, we investigated the expression pattern of granulysin in routine sections of normal and reactive lymphoid tissues as well as in a large series of lymphomas. In normal tissues, granulysin labelled a small population of cells that double immunostaining revealed to belong to the pool of cytotoxic T/NK cells. Among lymphoid neoplasms, the highest expression of granulysin (71%) was found in extranodal NK/T cell lymphomas of nasal type (ENKTL). To note is that 29% of ENKTLs, which were negative for one or more of classical cytotoxic markers strongly expressed granulysin. Furthermore, expression of granulysin was observed in rare cases of T cell lymphomas with a cytotoxic phenotype (i.e. ALK-negative anaplastic large cell lymphoma (26%), enteropathy-associated T cell lymphoma (12%) and peripheral T cell lymphoma, NOS (4%)). None of the investigated non-Hodgkin B cell lymphomas, Hodgkin lymphoma and plasma cell myeloma were granulysin positive. The results suggest granulysin as a novel marker for a subset of cytotoxic NK cell derived malignancies and its usefulness is highlighted in those ENKTLs that lack expression of other cytotoxic markers but retain granulysin expression.

Expression profiles of MYC protein and MYC gene rearrangement in lymphomas.

MYC translocations are a defining feature of Burkitt lymphoma and a group of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) with inferior outcome. However, the clinical relevance of MYC gene rearrangement and its relationship with MYC protein expression has not been well characterized in lymphomas. Tissue microarrays containing 1214 lymphomas were successfully evaluated by immunohistochemistry using anti-MYC clone Y69 and a dual-color break-apart fluorescence in situ hybridization probe to detect MYC gene rearrangements. Aggressive B-cell lymphomas including Burkitt lymphoma and DLBCL showed the highest level of MYC protein staining defined as staining in >50% of lymphoma cells. A significant proportion of plasmablastic, B-lymphoblastic and T-lymphoblastic, and extranodal NK/T-cell lymphomas also showed staining in >50% of cells, whereas only occasional plasma cell myeloma, mantle cell lymphoma, and classical Hodgkin lymphoma showed a high level of staining. Small B-cell lymphomas, when positive, showed MYC protein in <50% of cells. In aggressive B-cell lymphomas, MYC rearrangement and MYC immunohistochemistry showed a high concordance rate; however, some DLBCL and all T-cell and NK-cell lymphomas with MYC protein expression lacked MYC gene rearrangements. Our results provide a baseline for MYC protein expression in lymphomas and indicate that its expression is not specific to lymphoma subtypes, cell lineage, or expected clinical behavior and is highly variable. In addition, MYC protein expression is not necessarily correlated with MYC gene rearrangements and suggests the need for caution in the interpretation of MYC immunohistochemistry in the differential diagnosis of lymphomas.

Expression of the activating receptor, NKp46 (CD335), in human natural killer and T-cell neoplasia.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the expression of CD335 (NKp46), an activation receptor that is selectively expressed on natural killer (NK) cells. METHODS: We assessed CD335's potential utility as a diagnostic marker in 657 cases by flow cytometry and 410 cases by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: We observed that CD335 was highly specific for NK cells in nonneoplastic tissues. Moreover, 61 (90%) of 68 of NK cell neoplasms demonstrated CD335 expression, whereas B-cell, myelomonocytic, and plasma cell neoplasms lacked expression. Notably, 16 (20%) of 82 mature T-cell neoplasms, particularly T-cell large granular lymphocytic leukemia, mycosis fungoides, and ALK+ anaplastic large cell lymphoma, aberrantly expressed CD335. CONCLUSIONS: Collectively, these data support the diagnostic utility of CD335 in evaluating hematopoietic malignancies and suggest that CD335 could be a useful target for selective immunotherapy in patients with mature NK and T-cell neoplasms.

Classification of non-Hodgkin lymphomas in Guatemala according to the World Health Organization system.

The aim of this study is to report the relative frequencies of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) subtypes in Guatemala. A panel of five hematopathologists reviewed 226 consecutive biopsies and classified them according to the 2001 World Health Organization (WHO) classification. The 83 cases of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) were further subclassified into germinal center B-cell-like (GCB) and non-GCB subtypes. Of the 226 cases, 194 (86%) were confirmed as NHL, including 169 (87%) B-cell and 25 (13%) T- or natural killer (NK)-cell NHL. The most common subtype was DLBCL (44.3%), and the most frequent subtype among T- and NK-cell NHL was extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type (7.8% of all NHL). A comparison of the frequencies of NHL subtypes between Guatemala and other parts of the world showed that Guatemala is most similar to the Middle East and Asia. However, there is no significant difference in the frequency of the DLBCL subtypes compared to North America and Europe.

Linfoma de célula-NK de senos nasales / Linfoma of NK Cells of nasal sinus

El linfoma de célula NK/T puede presentarse hasta en el 10/100 de los linfomas de células T, especialmente en el Asia. Los linfomas nasales se presentan con más frecuencia en adultos jóvenes, masculinos y con enfermedad localizada en la nariz, pero en Guatemala se han visto en lesiones avanzadas con destrucción de la nariz, extensión a los senos paranasales, labio superior, nasofaringe y órbita. El diagnóstico por biopsia y fenotipo de células NK/T es importante, por el momento no hay acuerdo acerca del tratamiento óptimo para el mismo. Se presenta el caso de un paciente masculino de treinta y un años, a quien se le efectuó el diagnóstico y se le dió tratamiento con radioterapia. El paciente rehusó continuar el tratamiento con quimioterapia para consolidación