Longitudinal Changes in Immune Activation Serum Biomarkers Prior to Diagnosis and Risk of B-cell NHL Subtypes.

BACKGROUND: To examine the contribution of B-cell activation molecules to B-cell follicular lymphoma (FL) and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), a prospective study was conducted using pre-diagnosis serial serum samples from the US Department of Defense Serum Repository. METHODS: Each case (n = 142 FL, n = 211 DLBCL) was matched to two controls on age, gender, race, military branch, and blood collection dates. Immune activation molecules (IL1ß, IL2, IL4, IL5, IL6, IL10, IL12, CXCL13, IL8, TNFα, IFNγ, GM-CSF, VEGF, sCD30, IgE) were quantified using ELISA or multiplex immunometric (Luminex) assay. Longitudinal data were analyzed using linear mixed modeling. As serial specimens were collected over several years before diagnosis, we evaluated the temporal dynamics of these markers. RESULTS: Increased serum levels of sCD30, CXCL13, and to a lesser extent IL10, were associated with both FL and DLBCL in cases compared with controls, with a median follow-up of 5.5 years from the earliest specimen collection to diagnosis date. Significant increasing sCD30 and CXCL13 trajectories for FL and DLBCL subtypes were noted starting at the earliest time points and with IL10 levels increasing significantly at time points closer to diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that sCD30, CXCL13, and IL10 may contribute to the etiology of FL and DLBCL and are potential biomarkers for these non-Hodgkin lymphoma subtypes. IMPACT: The increasing trajectories of the B-cell activation molecules, sCD30, CXCL13, and to a lesser extent IL10, may indicate early disease-induced effects or reflect the chronic stimulation of B-cells that promotes the development of FL and DLBCL subtypes.

Analysis of immunoglobulin V genes suggests cutaneous marginal zone B-cell lymphomas recognise similar antigens.

Extranodal marginal zone B-cell lymphomas (EMZL) are thought to develop from reactive infiltrates that represent immune responses to external or auto-antigens. Except for gastric EMZL, the antigenic triggers of EMZL development are mostly unknown, although a subset of cutaneous EMZL have been associated with Borrelia burgdorferi infections. To further evaluate whether a common antigen may be promoting the development of cutaneous EMZL, the immunoglobulin heavy chain variable (V(H)) genes from eight USA cases were sequenced and analysed. All used V(H)3 family gene segments, with 2/8 using the same V3-30 segment, 2/8 using the closely related V3-30.3 or V3-33 segments, 6/8 containing mutations and 2/7 showing evidence of ongoing mutation. Many of the complimentarity-determining region 3s (CDR3s) also showed similarities in length and displayed conserved amino acid motifs in the non-templated areas between the diversity and joining segments. The use of similar V(H) gene segments and conserved CDR3 amino acid motifs suggests that some of these cutaneous EMZL may bind the same or similar antigen via their surface immunoglobulin receptor. Analysis of the somatic mutations present in many of the V(H) genes was also consistent with antigen directly stimulating the growth of cutaneous EMZL.

Clinicopathologic, immunophenotypic, and molecular cytogenetic fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis of primary and secondary cutaneous follicular lymphomas.

Although primary cutaneous follicular lymphoma (FL) is considered a distinct variant of FL in the World Health Organization classification ("cutaneous follicle center lymphoma"), its biologic relationship to nodal FL remains controversial. The clinical, morphologic, immunophenotypic, and molecular cytogenetic features of 17 patients with primary cutaneous FL were studied and compared with 16 patients with secondary cutaneous FL. The head and neck region was the most frequent site at initial skin presentation in both the primary and secondary cases. Among the primary cases, 29% of the 31 biopsies were grade 1, 48% grade 2, 13% grade 3, and 10% grade 3 with diffuse large B-cell (DLBCL) areas. Among the secondary cases, 38% of the 29 skin biopsies were grade 1, 45% grade 2, 3% grade 3, and 7% grade 3 with DLBCL areas with two not evaluable. A floral-like pattern was observed in 32% of primary FL but only 5% of secondary cases. Histologic progression was found in 21% of patients. CD10 expression was demonstrated in 90% (27 of 30) of primary cases and 96% (22 of 23) of secondary cases. Bcl-6 was expressed in all cases tested. Bcl-2 expression was detected in 57% (17 of 30) of the primary cases (100% of grade 1, 43% of grade 2, 40% of grade 3), whereas all secondary cases were bcl-2 positive (P=0.0002). The t(14;18) translocation was identified by interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) in biopsies from 31% (4 of 13) of the patients with primary FL compared with 77% (10 of 13) of those with secondary lymphoma (P <0.05). Seven of the 17 (41%) patients with primary disease had cutaneous relapse, including 1 who also developed nodal disease. Bcl-2 positivity was seen in 4 of these 7 patients. Eight of the 16 (50%) patients with secondary FL had cutaneous relapse. Primary and secondary cutaneous FL share many clinical and phenotypic features, but primary cases may have some distinctive morphologic features, more frequently lack bcl-2 protein, and often lack the t(14;18) translocation. These findings suggest that primary cutaneous FL are distinctive and often but not always have a pathogenesis different from most of nodal and secondary cutaneous FL.

Fatal granulomatous amebic encephalitis caused by Balamuthia mandrillaris presenting as a skin lesion.

Granulomatous amebic encephalitis is an uncommon central nervous system (CNS) infection, usually caused by Acanthamoeba spp., which generally occurs in immunocompromised individuals. Balamuthia mandrillaris is a recently described free-living ameba that occasionally causes fatal CNS disease. The infection might start from a minor, slowly progressive, skin ulceration that can be present for weeks to months before neurologic changes occur. The clinical and histologic presentation is easily confused with many other diseases. Accurate diagnosis requires an awareness of this unusual presentation of amebiasis and identification of the amebic trophozoites in tissue and culture. Special stains are helpful, but immunofluorescence assays or electron microscopy is required to identify the organism as B mandrillaris. We present a fatal case of granulomatous amebic encephalitis that began as a cutaneous infection in an immunocompetent host.

Primary and secondary cutaneous diffuse large B-cell lymphomas: a multiparameter analysis of 25 cases including fluorescence in situ hybridization for t(14;18) translocation.

Although primary cutaneous diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (DLBCLs) except for those of the leg are grouped together with primary cutaneous follicle center cell lymphoma in the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer classification of primary cutaneous lymphomas, they typically lack the usual phenotypic profile of follicular lymphoma. Whether they are truly of follicular center cell origin, have a molecular pathogenesis similar to nodal follicular lymphoma, or have any biologic features that distinguish them from secondary DLBCL involving skin remains uncertain. To address these issues, a retrospective multiparameter study of 25 patients including clinical, histologic, immunophenotypic, and cytogenetic analyses was performed. A classic CD10+, bcl-6+ follicular center cell profile was found in 10 (40%) cutaneous DLBCL (2 of 11 primary, 5 of 8 secondary, 3 of 6 unclassified) with bcl-2 expression seen only in the nonprimary cases. Of the remaining cases, 14 cases (56%) were CD10-, bcl-6+, bcl-2+/- (9 primary) and one case (4%) was CD10-, bcl-6-, bcl-2+ (0 primary). Fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis showed a t(14;18) in 0 of 9 primary and 3 of 5 secondary cases. Primary cases were frequently found in the head/neck region, whereas secondary cases were more common on the trunk and extremities. Patients with primary disease were all alive, usually having received only local therapy, at a median follow-up of 19 months. Most secondary cases were treated with chemotherapy with only one untreated patient dead of disease at a median follow-up of 5 months. Primary cutaneous DLBCLs therefore appear to be distinctive as they have fewer features of follicular lymphoma than do secondary cases. Nevertheless, some appear to be of follicular center cell origin, even though they probably have a different molecular pathogenesis than most nodal follicular lymphomas.