Micronodular thymic epithelial tumors with lymphoid hyperplasia and mimicking lesions.

Micronodular arrangement of epithelial cells and lymphoid B-cell hyperplasia with follicles are both peculiar histological features in thymic tissue. Such features may especially occur in thymic epithelial tumors. The most common form is called micronodular thymoma with lymphoid stroma. We have recently described some characteristics of thymic micronodular carcinoma with lymphoid hyperplasia, highlighting how this carcinomatous counterpart should not be misdiagnosed as a thymoma. In this review, we discuss these two entities but also other mimics, which may occur in the anterior mediastinum. These mimics include various types of cellular micronodules and lymphoid backgrounds encompassing a wide range of mediastinal lesions. Non-neoplastic lesions, such as thymic nodular epithelial hyperplasia, thymic lymphoid hyperplasia, or sarcoidosis, as well as tumors of very varying aggressiveness, such as micronodular thymic epithelial tumors, low-grade lymphoma, seminoma, or lymphoepithelial carcinoma, are discussed. We show how these lesions may be misleading and we describe how a correct diagnostic may be obtained in current practice.

Usefulness of an RNA extraction-free test for the multiplexed detection of ALK, ROS1, and RET Gene Fusions in Real Life FFPE Specimens of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancers.

BACKGROUND: ALK, ROS1 and RET rearrangements occur, respectively, in 5%, 2%, and 1% non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC). ALK and ROS1 fusion proteins detection by immunohistochemistry (IHC) has been validated for rapid patient screening, but ROS1 fusions need to be confirmed by another technique and no RET IHC test is available for clinical use. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We report herein the usefulness of the HTG EdgeSeq Assay, an RNA extraction-free test combining a quantitative nuclease protection assay with NGS, for the detection of ALK, ROS1 and RET fusions from 'real-life' small NSCLC samples. A total of 203 FFPE samples were collected from 11 centers. They included 143 rearranged NSCLC (87 ALK, 39 ROS1, 17 RET) and 60 ALK-ROS1-RET negative controls. RESULTS: The assay had a specificity of 98% and a sensitivity for ALK, ROS1 and RET fusions of 80%, 94% and 100% respectively. Among the 19 HTG-assay false negative samples, the preanalytical conditions were identified as the major factors impacting the assay efficiency. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, the HTG EdgeSeq assay offers comparable sensitivities and specificity than other RNA sequencing techniques, with the advantage that it can be used on very small and old samples collected multicentrically.

Acute Influenza Infection Promotes Lung Tumor Growth by Reprogramming the Tumor Microenvironment.

One billion people worldwide get flu every year, including patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the impact of acute influenza A virus (IAV) infection on the composition of the tumor microenvironment (TME) and the clinical outcome of patients with NSCLC is largely unknown. We set out to understand how IAV load impacts cancer growth and modifies cellular and molecular players in the TME. Herein, we report that IAV can infect both tumor and immune cells, resulting in a long-term protumoral effect in tumor-bearing mice. Mechanistically, IAV impaired tumor-specific T-cell responses, led to the exhaustion of memory CD8+ T cells and induced PD-L1 expression on tumor cells. IAV infection modulated the transcriptomic profile of the TME, fine-tuning it toward immunosuppression, carcinogenesis, and lipid and drug metabolism. Consistent with these data, the transcriptional module induced by IAV infection in tumor cells in tumor-bearing mice was also found in human patients with lung adenocarcinoma and correlated with poor overall survival. In conclusion, we found that IAV infection worsened lung tumor progression by reprogramming the TME toward a more aggressive state.

Multicenter Evaluation of the Idylla GeneFusion in Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer.

Targeted therapy in lung cancer requires the assessment of multiple oncogenic driver alterations, including fusion genes. This retrospective study evaluated the Idylla GeneFusion prototype, an automated and ease-of-use (<2 minutes) test, with a short turnaround time (3 hours) to detect fusions involving ALK, ROS1, RET, and NTRK1/2/3 genes and MET exon 14 skipping. This multicenter study (18 centers) included 313 tissue samples from lung cancer patients with 97 ALK, 44 ROS1, 20 RET, and 5 NTRKs fusions, 32 MET exon 14 skipping, and 115 wild-type samples, previously identified with reference methods (RNA-based next-generation sequencing/fluorescence in situ hybridization/quantitative PCR). Valid results were obtained for 306 cases (98%), overall concordance between Idylla and the reference methods was 89% (273/306); overall sensitivity and specificity were 85% (165/193) and 96% (108/113), respectively. Discordances were observed in 28 samples, where Idylla did not detect the alteration identified by the reference methods; and 5 samples where Idylla identified an alteration not detected by the reference methods. All of the ALK-, ROS1-, and RET-specific fusions and MET exon 14 skipping identified by Idylla GeneFusion were confirmed by reference method. To conclude, Idylla GeneFusion is a clinically valuable test that does not require a specific infrastructure, allowing a rapid result. The absence of alteration or the detection of expression imbalance only requires additional testing by orthogonal methods.

SMARCA4-deficient lung carcinoma is an aggressive tumor highly infiltrated by FOXP3+ cells and neutrophils.

INTRODUCTION: SMARCA4/BRG1 loss of expression occurs in 5-10% of non-small cell lung carcinomas (NSCLC). We investigated the pathological, molecular and immune environment characteristics of this deficiency among NSCLC, its impact on overall survival (OS) of resected patients and the sensitivity to anti-PD1 inhibitors in metastatic patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: BRG1 expression was assessed by immunohistochemistry to identify SMARCA4-deficient NSCLC (SD-NSCLC) from the cancer tissue collection of Cochin Hospital (Paris, France). Molecular profiles were analyzed by targeted NGS covering 28 genes in 63 resected SD-NSCLC. The balance of immune cells between CD8+, FOXP3+ cells and neutrophils (CD66b+) was characterized by multiplex immunohistochemistry and compared to non-SD NSCLC. Clinical outcome after anti-PD-1 therapy was evaluated in 7 SD-NSCLC out of 77 NSCLC patients. RESULTS: SD-NSCLCs were more commonly found in TTF1-negative high-grade adenocarcinomas and pleomorphic carcinomas. They were associated with few targetable alterations (KRAS G12C and MET amplification). Their immune environment was characterized by an increased of FOXP3+ cell and neutrophil densities, but not of CD8+ T cells, compared to non-SD NSCLC. SD-NSCLC patients had a significantly shorter OS in early stages of resected patients and in metastatic patients treated by anti-PD1 treatment. CONCLUSION: BRG1-loss in NSCLC confers a poor prognosis and is associated with an immunosuppressive environment that could be responsible of limited efficacy to anti-PD1 inhibitors. The identification of SD-NSCLC by BRG1 immunohistochemistry is desirable for an optimal management of NSCLC patients.

Updated Prognostic Factors in Localized NSCLC.

Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer mortality worldwide, and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) represents 80% of lung cancer subtypes. Patients with localized non-small cell lung cancer may be considered for upfront surgical treatment. However, the overall 5-year survival rate is 59%. To improve survival, adjuvant chemotherapy (ACT) was largely explored and showed an overall benefit of survival at 5 years < 7%. The evaluation of recurrence risk and subsequent need for ACT is only based on tumor stage (TNM classification); however, more than 25% of patients with stage IA/B tumors will relapse. Recently, adjuvant targeted therapy has been approved for EGFR-mutated resected NSCLC and trials are evaluating other targeted therapies and immunotherapies in adjuvant settings. Costs, treatment duration, emergence of resistant clones and side effects stress the need for a better selection of patients. The identification and validation of prognostic and theranostic markers to better stratify patients who could benefit from adjuvant therapies are needed. In this review, we report current validated clinical, pathological and molecular prognosis biomarkers that influence outcome in resected NSCLC, and we also describe molecular biomarkers under evaluation that could be available in daily practice to drive ACT in resected NSCLC.

Development and validation of a host-dependent, PDL1-independent, biomarker to predict 6-month progression-free survival in metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (mNSCLC) patients treated with anti-PD1 immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) in the CERTIM Cohort: The ELY study.

BACKGROUND: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) are dramatically active in a minority of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. We studied here the relationship between patients's metabolism and outcome under ICI. METHODS: Metastatic NSCLC patients underwent a nutritional assessment prior to initiating immunotherapy. Resting energy expenditure (REE) was measured (mREE) using ambulatory indirect calorimetry and compared with the theoretical value (tREE) provided by the Harris and Benedict formula. The primary endpoint was 6-month progression-free survival (PFS). Secondary endpoints included objective response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR) based on investigator review per RECIST v1.1. and overall survival (OS). The association of patient's metabolism with 6-month PFS was first explored in a single-center training cohort to estimate the effect size. The relationship between patient's metabolism and 6-month PFS was then tested in an independent non interventional observational prospective cohort (ELY) of 100 patients recruited in two tertiary university centers. FINDINGS: In the entire cohort, the ORR was 14% for the hypermetabolic group (n = 10/74) vs 38% for the normometabolic group (n = 26/68), respectively (estimated difference 25%, 95CI 9-40%, p = 0.001). The DCR was 28% for the hypermetabolic group (n = 21/74) vs 53% for the normometabolic group (n = 36/68), respectively (estimated difference 25%, 95CI 7-42%, p = 0.005). In the validation cohort (100 patients, 2 centers), normometabolic patients (defined as mREE/tREE < 110%) had increased 6-month PFS (57% versus 22%; odds ratio: 4.76; IC95 [1.87 - 12.89]; p<0.001) and improved overall survival (HR 2.20; IC95: 1.41-3.44; p<0.001). The positive and negative predictive values of normometabolism to identify non-progressive patients at 6 months, were 57% and 78% respectively, sensitivity was 72% and specificity was 66%. In multivariate analysis including PD-L1 tumor status, basal metabolism was an independent predictive factor for 6-month PFS. INTERPRETATION: Normometabolism is a new independent parameter to identify mNSCLC patients who will benefit from ICI, with both improved tumor response, 6-month PFS, and survival. FUNDING: This work was supported by Baxter (04012016).

Size and Predictive Factors of Microscopic Tumor Extension in Locally Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

PURPOSE: Radiation therapy for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) should treat the whole tumor, including its microscopic extensions, and protect adjacent organs at risk as much as possible. The aim of our study is to evaluate the size of microscopic tumor extension (MEmax) in NSCLC, and search for potential predictive factors. METHODS AND MATERIALS: We retrospectively selected 70 patients treated with postoperative radiation therapy for a NSCLC with N2 nodal status, then 34 additional patients operated for a squamous cell lung cancer with N1 or N2 nodal status. On the digitized slides originating from the resected tumors of these 104 patients, we outlined the border of the tumor, as seen with the naked eye. We then searched for microscopic tumor extension outside of these borders with a magnification as high as 40 × and measured the maximum size of MEmax. RESULTS: The median MEmax in the whole cohort was 0.85 mm (0-9.95). The MEmax was <5.3 mm in 95% of adenocarcinomas (6.5 mm in the subgroup without neoadjuvant chemotherapy) and <3.5 mm in 95% of squamous cell carcinomas (3.7 mm in the subgroup without neoadjuvant chemotherapy). After multivariate analysis, the factors associated with the size of MEmax were vascular invasion (P = .0002), histologic type, with a wider MEmax for adenocarcinomas in comparison with squamous cell carcinomas (P = .002), tumor size, which was inversely related with the size of MEmax (P = .024), and high blood pressure (P = .03). Macroscopic histologic tumor size was well correlated with both radiologic tumor size on a mediastinal setting computed tomography (correlation coefficient of 0.845) and on a parenchymal setting computed tomography (correlation coefficient of 0.836). CONCLUSIONS: The clinical target volume margin, accounting for microscopic tumoral extension, could be reduced to 7 mm for adenocarcinomas and 4 mm for squamous cell carcinomas.

Intracellular Factor H Drives Tumor Progression Independently of the Complement Cascade.

The complement system is a powerful and druggable innate immune component of the tumor microenvironment. Nevertheless, it is challenging to elucidate the exact mechanisms by which complement affects tumor growth. In this study, we examined the processes by which the master complement regulator factor H (FH) affects clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) and lung cancer, two cancers in which complement overactivation predicts poor prognosis. FH was present in two distinct cellular compartments: the membranous (mb-FH) and intracellular (int-FH) compartments. Int-FH resided in lysosomes and colocalized with C3. In ccRCC and lung adenocarcinoma, FH exerted protumoral action through an intracellular, noncanonical mechanism. FH silencing in ccRCC cell lines resulted in decreased proliferation, due to cell-cycle arrest and increased mortality, and this was associated with increased p53 phosphorylation and NFκB translocation to the nucleus. Moreover, the migration of the FH-silenced cells was reduced, likely due to altered morphology. These effects were cell type-specific because no modifications occurred upon CFH silencing in other FH-expressing cells tested: tubular cells (from which ccRCC originates), endothelial cells (human umbilical vein endothelial cells), and squamous cell lung cancer cells. Consistent with this, in ccRCC and lung adenocarcinoma, but not in lung squamous cell carcinoma, int-FH conferred poor prognosis in patient cohorts. Mb-FH performed its canonical function of complement regulation but had no impact on tumor cell phenotype or patient survival. The discovery of intracellular functions for FH redefines the role of the protein in tumor progression and its use as a prognostic biomarker or potential therapeutic target.See article by Daugan et al., p. 891 (36).

Micronodular thymic carcinoma with lymphoid hyperplasia: relevance of immunohistochemistry with a small panel of antibodies for diagnosis-a RYTHMIC study.

Micronodular thymic carcinoma with lymphoid hyperplasia (MNTCLH) is a rare form of thymic carcinoma. We present the experience of RYTHMIC, the French national network devoted to the treatment of thymic epithelial tumors through multidisciplinary tumor boards with a review of all tumors by pathologists for classification and staging. Six cases of MNTCLH were diagnosed during a review of 1007 thymic epithelial tumors. Histologically, epithelial cells with atypia and mitoses formed micronodules that were surrounded by an abundant lymphoid background with follicles. There was neither obvious fibro-inflammatory stroma nor necrosis. Spindle cells areas were common. Initial diagnosis was micronodular thymoma in two cases, cellular atypia being overlooked, eclipsed by the micronodular pattern. Immunohistochemistry with a panel of five antibodies showed that cytokeratins (AE1-AE3) and p63-positive epithelial cells also expressed CD5 and that there was no TdT-positive cells within the tumors. CD20 highlighted the lymphoid hyperplasia. Additionally epithelial cells also expressed CD117 and diffusely Glut 1. Twenty-seven micronodular thymomas with lymphoid stroma diagnosed during the same period did not show the CD5 and CD117 positivities seen in MNTCLH and contained TdT-positive lymphocytes. Three of the 6 patients with MNTCLH had adjuvant radiotherapy. Three patients with follow-up information were alive without recurrence at 38, 51, and 95 months. Our study shows that immunohistochemistry, such as that used in the RYTHMIC network with a small panel of antibodies, may easily help to confirm the correct diagnosis of MNTCLH, a rare and low-aggressive form of thymic carcinoma, and avoid the misdiagnosis of micronodular thymoma.

[Thymoma and squamous thymic carcinoma diagnosis; experience from the RYTHMIC network]. / Diagnostic des thymomes et carcinomes thymiques malpighiens ; expérience du réseau RYTHMIC.

The RYTHMIC network, supported by the French National Cancer Institute is dedicated to the management of patients with thymic epithelial tumors through regional and national multidisciplinary tumor boards. Tumor board decisions are based on the initial pathology diagnoses. However, following clinical inclusion in the network, a central pathology review is organized, implicating a panel of pathologists, for histotype and stage classification, which is different from a classical second opinion from pathologist to pathologist for a difficult case. Thanks to the participation of all French pathologists, more than 1000 cases have been reviewed by the panel. The aim of this review is to share with the French pathology community, the experience of the group. It underlines the importance of macroscopy and surgeon-pathologist involvement to allow a good central review, the main histopathological and immunophenotypical patterns of the most frequent thymomas and thymic carcinoma types, the differential diagnoses, as well as the difficulties for the panel to reproducibly assess on slides, stage, for some cases.

Impact of expert pathologic review of thymic epithelial tumours on diagnosis and management in a real-life setting: A RYTHMIC study.

BACKGROUND: Classification of thymic epithelial tumours (TETs) is known to be challenging; however, the level of discordances at a nationwide level between initial and expert diagnosis and their clinical consequences are currently unknown. RYTHMIC is a national network dedicated to the management of TET based on initial histological diagnosis, followed by an additional expert review of all cases. Our aim was to evaluate the discordances between initial and expert diagnoses and whether they would have led to different clinical management. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis of the cohort of patients discussed at RYTHMIC tumour board from January 2012 to December 2016. Assessment of disagreement was made for histological typing and for staging. The discordances were classified as major or minor based on whether they would have changed or not the proposed therapeutic strategy, respectively. Follow-up of the patients with major discordances was conducted until December 2018. RESULTS: Four hundred sixty-seven patients were reviewed, and 183 (39%) discordances were identified either related to histological subtype (132) and/or stage (72). Major discordances were identified in 27 patients (6%). They included 16 patients with TET for whom treatment recommendation based on the central review would have been post-operative radiotherapy, whereas it had not been the case. However, follow-up did not show any progression among the 15 patients with high-grade histology and/or stage resected thymomas. On the other hand, among the remaining 11 patients including 7 with a diagnosis other than TET, the overall management or follow-up would have been completely different with the expert diagnosis. CONCLUSION: Our real-life cohort reveals a high level of discordances considering TET diagnosis and supports expert review for optimal clinical management.

[Fusion transcripts: Therapeutic targets in thoracic oncology]. / Les réarrangements moléculaires : cibles thérapeutiques en cancérologie thoracique.

Five to ten percent of lung adenocarcinoma harbor chromosomal rearrangements affecting the ALK, ROS1, NTRK and RET genes. These rearrangements are associated with the production of fusion transcripts that lead to the synthesis of chimeric proteins with constitutive kinase activity. These abnormal proteins induce an oncogenic dependency that may be targeted by tyrosine kinase inhibitors. In this review, we will summarize the clinical and molecular epidemiology of chromosomal rearrangements affecting ALK, ROS1, NTRK and RET genes. We will describe the mechanisms of resistance to tyrosine kinase inhibitors that have been reported. We will present the molecular techniques that can be used to detect these rearrangements and the strategies set-up by the molecular oncology laboratories to diagnose these genetic alterations.

[Surgical management of resectable non-small cell lung cancer: Towards new paradigms]. / Prise en charge chirurgicale du cancer bronchique non à petites cellules opérable : vers de nouveaux paradigmes.

Adapting therapies and providing personalized care for patients with resectable non-small cell lung cancer represent major challenges. This involves integrating several parameters into the patient's management, not only crude pathologic results, but also a better understanding of the mechanisms involved in tumor progression. Many studies have looked at the impact of host and tumor characteristics and their interactions through inflammatory processes or tumor immune environment. Beyond tumor stage, poor nutrition, sarcopenia and inflammatory state have been identified as independent factors that can directly impact postoperative outcome. The development of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS), in which patient becomes the main player in their own management, seems to be an interesting answer since it seems to allow a reduction in postoperative complications, length of stay and indirectly reduction in costs. A broader and more complete vision including morphometric evaluation of the patient, physical performances, inflammatory state and nutritional state would provide additional discriminating information which can predict postoperative outcome and help in adapting therapies in a personalized way.

Predictive Value of Soluble PD-1, PD-L1, VEGFA, CD40 Ligand and CD44 for Nivolumab Therapy in Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Case-Control Study.

A large interindividual variability has been observed in anti Programmed cell Death 1 (anti-PD1) therapies efficacy. The aim of this study is to assess the correlation of soluble PD-1 (sPD-1), soluble Programmed cell Death Ligand 1 (sPD-L1), Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A (VEGFA), soluble CD40 ligand (sCD40L) and soluble CD44 (sCD44), with survival in nivolumab-treated metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Plasma biomarkers were assayed at baseline and after two cycles of nivolumab. A cut-off of positivity for sPD-1, sPD-L1 and sCD40L expressions was defined as a plasma level above the lower limit of quantification. Baseline sPD-1 and sPD-L1 levels were subsequently analyzed in a control group of EGFR-mutated (Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor) NSCLC patients. Association between survival and biomarkers was investigated using Cox proportional hazard regression model. Eighty-seven patients were included (51 nivolumab-treated patients, 36 in EGFR-mutated group). In nivolumab group, baseline sPD-1, sPD-L1 and sCD40L were positive for 15(29.4%), 27(52.9%) and 18(50%) patients, respectively. We defined a composite criteria (sCombo) corresponding to sPD-1 and/or sPD-L1 positivity for each patient. In nivolumab group, baseline sCombo positivity was associated with shorter median progression-free survival (PFS) (78 days 95%CI (55-109) vs. 658 days (222-not reached); HR: 4.12 (1.95-8.71), p = 0.0002) and OS (HR: 3.99(1.63-9.80), p = 0.003). In multivariate analysis, baseline sCombo independently correlated with PFS (HR: 2.66 (1.17-6.08), p = 0.02) but not OS. In EGFR-mutated group, all patients were baseline sCombo positive; therefore this factor was not associated with survival. After two cycles of nivolumab, an increased or stable sPD-1 level independently correlated with longer PFS (HR: 0.49, 95%CI (0.30-0.80), p = 0.004) and OS (HR: 0.39, 95%CI (0.21-0.71), p = 0.002). VEGFA, sCD40L and sCD44 did not correlate with survival. We propose a composite biomarker using sPD-1and sPDL-1 to predict nivolumab efficacy in NSCLC patients. A larger validation study is warranted.

[SMARCA4-deficient thoracic tumors: A new entity]. / Les tumeurs thoraciques SMARCA4 déficientes : une nouvelle entité.

A growing number of studies suggest a tumor suppressor role for the SWI/SNF complex involved in the remodeling of chromatin. Alterations of this complex have been found in many tumors of different origins, with topographic, morphologic and phenotypic diversity. Notably, they define 2 types of thoracic tumors: SMARCA4-deficient non-small cell lung carcinoma and SMARCA4-deficient sarcoma. Some clinical features appear to be common to both, such as intrathoracic localization, smoking exposure, male predominance and poor prognosis. However, the histological distinction between these two entities is sometimes difficult and it is not excluded that these entities belong to the same tumor spectrum with different degrees of differentiation. The therapy of these tumors is not yet codified. These tumors do not seem associated with oncogenic driver mutations allowing the prescription of targeted therapy, but immunotherapy has been shown to be effective in rare reported cases. More specific treatments using EZH2 inhibitors also seem promising in SMARCA4 deficient sarcomas.

Chemoresistant pleomorphic rhabdomyosarcoma: whole exome sequencing reveals underlying cancer predisposition and therapeutic options.

BACKGROUND: Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is rare cancer affecting children and adults. Pleomorphic RMS histology is almost exclusive to adult patients and often resistant to chemotherapy. OBJECTIVE: We report the case of a 19-year-old patient who presented with a metastatic chemoresistant pleomorphic RMS. METHODS: Considering the poor prognosis and the few systemic therapeutic options, we decided to carry out a whole exome sequencing (WES) of the tumour and germline DNA. RESULTS: WES identified a germline variation (c.1863_1864insT) in the MLH1 gene corresponding to a pathogenic mutation: (p. Leu622Serfs*10), whereas the family history did not fit with classical criteria for Lynch syndrome. Loss-of-heterozygosity at MLH1 locus was found in the tumour. Immunohistochemistry showed loss of MLH1 and PMS2 nuclear expression in the tumour cells. In view of the mismatch repair defects and a high programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression (60% of tumour cells expressed PD-L1), we administrated an anti-PD-1 antibody to the patient. He achieved a rapid complete response of the lung metastases, which appears sustained after a 1-year follow-up. CONCLUSION: This observation of an RMS revealing an unexpected Lynch syndrome underlines the overlap between tumorous and germline molecular genetics and emphasises the major impact of cancer genomic medicine in clinical practice for guiding treatment decision.

Risk factors associated with myasthenia gravis in thymoma patients: The potential role of thymic germinal centers.

Thymomas are associated with a very high risk of developing Myasthenia Gravis (MG). Our objectives were to identify histological and biological parameters to allow early diagnosis of thymoma patients susceptible to developing MG. We conducted a detailed retrospective analysis from a patient database, searching for differences between patients with thymoma-associated MG (MGT, n = 409) and thymoma without MG (TOMA, n = 111) in comparison with nonthymomatous MG patients (MG, n = 1246). We also performed multiplex and single molecule arrays to measure the serum levels of cytokines in these groups of patients and controls (n = 14-22). We identified a set of parameters associated with MG development in thymoma patients: 1) detection of anti-acetylcholine receptor (AChR) antibodies, 2) development of B1 or B2 thymoma subtypes, 3) presence of ectopic thymic germinal centers (GCs), 4) local invasiveness of thymoma, and 5) being a woman under 50 years old. Among these parameters, 58.8% of MGT patients displayed GCs with a positive correlation between the number of GCs and anti-AChR titers. By immunohistochemistry, we found thymic GCs in the adjacent tissues of thymomas encircled by high endothelial venules (HEVs) that could favor peripheral cell recruitment. We also clearly associated MG symptoms with higher IFN-γ, IL-1ß and sCD40L serum levels, specifically in MGT patients compared to TOMA patients. Altogether, these analyses allowed the clear identification of histological, in particular the presence of GCs, and biological parameters that would facilitate the evaluation of the probability of the MG outcome postoperatively in thymoma patients.

Hypermetabolism is an independent prognostic factor of survival in metastatic non-small cell lung cancer patients.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the first cause of cancer death worldwide. Increased resting energy expenditure (REE) is frequent among cancer patients and may contribute to cancer cachexia. The aim of this study was to examine the prognostic value of increased REE in metastatic NSCLC patients. METHODS: This observational study was conducted between June 2012 and November 2017 in the outpatient unit of the oncology department of Cochin hospital, Paris. Consecutive patients with newly diagnosed stage IV NSCLC underwent measurement of REE by indirect calorimetry before treatment initiation. Uni- and multivariate analysis of overall survival (OS, Cox models) included age, sex, smoking habit, histological subtype, performance status, body mass index, weight loss, albumin and CRP levels and the ratio of measured REE to the REE predicted by the Harris Benedict formula (mREE/pREE). RESULTS: 144 patients were enrolled: mean age 64 years, 63% male, 90% non-squamous carcinoma, including 17% with ALK/EGFR alteration. In univariate analysis, tobacco consumption (p = 0.007), histo-molecular subtype (p < 10-3), performance status (p = 0.04), weight loss (p < 10-4), albumin (p < 10-4), CRP (p = 0.001) and mREE/pREE ratio (>vs ≤ 120%: HR = 2.16, p < 10-3) were significant prognostic factors of OS. Median OS were 6.1 and 17.3 months in patients with mREE/pREE ratio > and ≤120%, respectively. In multivariate analysis, histo-molecular subtype (non-squamous ALK/EGFR mutated vs squamous carcinoma: HR = 0.25, p = 0.006), weight loss (>vs ≤ 5%: HR = 1.98, p = 0.004), albumin (≥vs < 35 g/L: HR = 0.56, p = 0.02) and mREE/pREE ratio (> vs ≤120%: HR = 1.90, p = 0.004) were identified as independent prognostic factors. CONCLUSIONS: Elevated resting energy expenditure emerges as an independent prognostic factor in metastatic NSCLC.