A Cerebellar Tumor-to-Tumor Metastasis in a Patient With Von Hippel-Lindau Disease.

Tumor-to-tumor metastasis in the central nerve system is uncommon in our routine practice. Most reports include metastatic breast cancer into meningioma. Here we report a metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) into a cerebellar hemangioblastoma in a patient with von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease. Imaging cannot distinguish metastatic ccRCC from primary cerebellar hemangioblastoma. Immuno-molecular studies are proven to be diagnostic. We also reviewed previously documented tumor-to-tumor metastasis of ccRCC to cerebellar hemangioblastoma in VHL disease. Lastly, we discussed potential mechanisms involved in the metastasis of ccRCC to hemangioblastoma in the cerebellum in patients with VHL.

Expression of somatostatin receptors in hemangioblastomas associated with von Hippel-Lindau disease as a novel diagnostic, therapeutic, and follow-up opportunity: A case report and literature review.

Hemangioblastomas associated with von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease are frequently multiple and recur during prolonged follow-up. Currently, no systemic treatment is available for these tumors. Recent studies have shown the expression of somatostatin receptors in these types of hemangioblastomas. Notably, increased somatostatin receptor expression in a tumor, as determined by peptide-receptor radionuclide imaging, is a predictive factor of response to treatment with somatostatin analogs and peptide-receptor radionuclide therapy. The aim of this study was to describe the case of a patient with increased expression of somatostatin receptors in a suprasellar hemangioblastoma associated with VHL disease and conduct a literature review on somatostatin receptor expression in patients with VHL-associated hemangioblastomas. We describe herein the case of a 51-year-old man with VHL disease who had a suprasellar hemangioblastoma detected on magnetic resonance imaging. Peptide-receptor radionuclide imaging using gallium-68-DOTATOC (68Ga-DOTATOC) identified increased expression of somatostatin receptors in the suprasellar hemangioblastoma, along with multiple pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors and bilateral pheochromocytomas. The patient was treated for 1 year with lanreotide, a somatostatin analog. A repeat 68Ga-DOTATOC 1 year after starting lanreotide revealed decreased radiotracer uptake by the hemangioblastoma, consistent with a metabolic response. The presence of somatostatin receptors in hemangioblastomas associated with VHL disease is a novel finding. The decreased expression of these receptors after treatment with a somatostatin analog, as described in the present case, positions the somatostatin receptor as a new target for novel diagnostic, therapeutic, and follow-up opportunities in patients with VHL disease.

Tumores renales múltiples y hereditarios. Revisión por y para radiólogos / Multiple and hereditary renal tumors: A review for radiologists

El 80% de los carcinomas renales (CR) se diagnostican incidentalmente por imagen. Se aceptan un 2-4% de multifocalidad «esporádica» y un 5-8% de síndromes hereditarios, probablemente con infraestimación. Multifocalidad, edad joven, historia familiar, datos sindrómicos y ciertas histologías hacen sospechar un síndrome hereditario. Debe estudiarse individualmente cada tumor y multidisciplinarmente al paciente, con estrategias terapéuticas conservadoras de nefronas y un abordaje diagnóstico radioprotector. Se revisan los datos relevantes para el radiólogo en los síndromes de von Hippel-Lindau, translocación de cromosoma-3, mutación de proteína-1 asociada a BRCA, CR asociado a déficit en succinato-deshidrogenasa, PTEN, CR papilar hereditario, cáncer papilar tiroideo-CR papilar, leiomiomatosis hereditaria y CR, Birt-Hogg-Dubé, complejo esclerosis tuberosa, Lynch, translocación Xp11.2/fusión TFE3, rasgo de células falciformes, mutación DICER1, hiperparatoridismo y tumor mandibular hereditario, así como los principales síndromes de predisposición al tumor de Wilms.(AU)

80% of renal carcinomas (RC) are diagnosed incidentally by imaging. 2-4% of “sporadic” multifocality and 5-8% of hereditary syndromes are accepted, probably with underestimation. Multifocality, young age, familiar history, syndromic data, and certain histologies lead to suspicion of hereditary syndrome. Each tumor must be studied individually, with a multidisciplinary evaluation of the patient. Nephron-sparing therapeutic strategies and a radioprotective diagnostic approach are recommended. Relevant data for the radiologist in major RC hereditary syndromes are presented: von-Hippel-Lindau, Chromosome-3 translocation, BRCA-associated protein-1 mutation, RC associated with succinate dehydrogenase deficiency, PTEN, hereditary papillary RC, Papillary thyroid cancer- Papillary RC, Hereditary leiomyomatosis and RC, Birt-Hogg-Dubé, Tuberous sclerosis complex, Lynch, Xp11.2 translocation/TFE3 fusion, Sickle cell trait, DICER1 mutation, Hereditary hyperparathyroidism and jaw tumor, as well as the main syndromes of Wilms tumor predisposition. The concept of “non-hereditary” familial RC and other malignant and benign entities that can present as multiple renal lesions are discussed.(AU)

68 Ga-DOTANOC PET/CT in 2 Siblings With Von Hippel-Lindau Disease.

ABSTRACT: Von Hippel-Lindau disease is a rare multisystem disorder that shows autosomal dominant inheritance. It is a cancer syndrome that is characterized by the development of a variety of benign and malignant tumors-CNS hemangioblastomas, retinal angiomas, endolymphatic sac tumors, renal cysts and tumors, pancreatic cysts and tumors, adrenal pheochromocytomas, and epididymal cystadenomas. Here we present the 68 Ga-labeled DOTANOC scans of 2 siblings who show an interesting spectrum of findings consistent with Von Hippel-Lindau disease.

[Preclinical diagnostics of von Hippel-Lindau syndrome in a child].

The description of the child aged 5 months with the von Hippel-Lindau syndrome without any manifestations of this syndrome is presented. The reason for the molecular genetic examination was the presence of cases of this syndrome in the family (mother and sister). The heterozygous variant c.355T>C p.F119L was found in the VHL gene. An objective examination revealed no pathology. A comprehensive laboratory and instrumental examination aimed at searching for components of the von Hippel-Lindau syndrome, including a blood test for metanephrines and normetanephrines, ultrasound of the abdominal organs, examination of the fundus, also did not reveal any abnormalities. Given the results of molecular genetic diagnosis, the child remains under observation and will undergo regular examinations to identify components of the von Hippel-Lindau syndrome, including blood/urine tests for normetanephrines.

ZEISS PLEX Elite 9000 Widefield Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography as Screening Method for Early Detection of Retinal Hemangioblastomas in von Hippel-Lindau Disease.

Purpose: To evaluate early detection of retinal hemangioblastomas (RHs) in von Hippel-Lindau disease (VHLD) with widefield optical coherence tomography angiography (wOCTA) compared to the standard of care in ophthalmologic VHLD screening in a routine clinical setting. Methods: We conducted prospective comparisons of three screening methods: wOCTA, standard ophthalmoscopy, and fluorescein angiography (FA), which was performed only in uncertain cases. The numbers of detected RHs were compared among the three screening methods. The underlying causes for the lack of detection were investigated. Results: In 91 eyes (48 patients), 67 RHs were observed (mean, 0.74 ± 1.59 RH per eye). FA was performed in eight eyes. Ophthalmoscopy overlooked 25 of the 35 RHs detected by wOCTA (71.4%) due to the background color of the choroid (n = 5), small tumor size (n = 13), masking by a bright fundus reflex (n = 2), and masking by surrounding retinal scars (n = 5). However, wOCTA missed 29 RHs due to peripheral location (43.3%). The overall detection rates were up to 37% on the basis of ophthalmoscopy alone, up to 52% for wOCTA, and 89% for FA. Within the retinal area covered by wOCTA, the detection rates were up to 46.7% for ophthalmoscopy alone, up to 92.1% for wOCTA, and 73.3% for FA. Conclusions: The overall low detection rate of RHs using wOCTA is almost exclusively caused by its inability to visualize the entire peripheral retina. Therefore, in unclear cases, FA is necessary after ophthalmoscopy. Translational Relevance: Within the imageable retinal area, wOCTA shows a high detection rate of RHs and therefore may be suitable to improve screening for RHs in VHLD.

Hereditary Renal Cancer Syndromes.

Familial kidney tumors represent a rare variety of hereditary cancer syndromes, although systematic gene sequencing studies revealed that as many as 5% of renal cell carcinomas (RCCs) are associated with germline pathogenic variants (PVs). Most instances of RCC predisposition are attributed to the loss-of-function mutations in tumor suppressor genes, which drive the malignant progression via somatic inactivation of the remaining allele. These syndromes almost always have extrarenal manifestations, for example, von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease, fumarate hydratase tumor predisposition syndrome (FHTPS), Birt-Hogg-Dubé (BHD) syndrome, tuberous sclerosis (TS), etc. In contrast to the above conditions, hereditary papillary renal cell carcinoma syndrome (HPRCC) is caused by activating mutations in the MET oncogene and affects only the kidneys. Recent years have been characterized by remarkable progress in the development of targeted therapies for hereditary RCCs. The HIF2aplha inhibitor belzutifan demonstrated high clinical efficacy towards VHL-associated RCCs. mTOR downregulation provides significant benefits to patients with tuberous sclerosis. MET inhibitors hold promise for the treatment of HPRCC. Systematic gene sequencing studies have the potential to identify novel RCC-predisposing genes, especially when applied to yet unstudied populations.

Al18F-NOTA-Octreotide PET/CT and 18F-FDG PET/CT for Detecting Cerebellar Hemangioblastoma in a Patient With Von Hippel-Lindau Disease.

ABSTRACT: Von Hippel-Lindau disease is a hereditary syndrome associated with various benign and malignant tumors, including hemangioblastomas. A 42-year-old man with a history of Von Hippel-Lindau disease underwent surgery for pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor and renal clear cell carcinoma and was recommended to undergo Al18F-NOTA-octreotide and 18F-FDG PETCT examination to assess potential metastases. 18F-FDG PET/CT showed low uptake in the right cerebellum, which demonstrated increased Al18F-NOTA-octreotide activity. Cerebellar mass resection surgery was performed. Pathological result was consistent with hemangioblastoma. This case report indicates the significant role of Al18F-NOTA-octreotide in the diagnosis of hemangioblastoma.

Epidemiology and economic burden of Von Hippel-Lindau Disease-associated central nervous system hemangioblastomas and pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors in the United States.

BACKGROUND: To date, real-world evidence around the clinical and economic burden related to von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease is limited. Therefore, this study characterized the prevalence, healthcare resource utilization (HRU), and economic burden of von Hippel-Lindau-associated central nervous system hemangioblastoma (VHL-CNS-Hb) and pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (VHL-pNET) in the United States (US). METHODS: Patients with VHL-CNS-Hb or VHL-pNET were identified from Optum's de-identified Clinformatics® Data Mart Database (2007-2020) and matched 1:5 to control patients without VHL disease or CNS-Hb/pNET. Prevalence rates of VHL-CNS-Hb and VHL-pNET (standardized by age and sex) in 2019 were estimated. HRU and healthcare costs (2020 US dollars) were compared between the VHL-CNS-Hb/VHL-pNET and control cohorts. RESULTS: In 2019, US prevalence rates of VHL-CNS-Hb and VHL-pNET were estimated to be 1.12 cases per 100,000 (3,678 patients) and 0.12 cases per 100,000 (389 patients), respectively. Patients with VHL-CNS-Hb (N = 220) had more inpatient, outpatient, and emergency department visits and $49,645 higher annual healthcare costs than controls (N = 1,100). Patients with VHL-pNET (N = 20) had more inpatient and outpatient visits and $56,580 higher annual healthcare costs than controls (N = 100). Costs associated with surgical removal of CNS-Hb and pNET were particularly high. CONCLUSIONS: In this retrospective, claims-based study, both VHL-CNS-Hb and VHL-pNET were associated with substantial HRU and healthcare costs, particularly tumor reduction surgery-related costs. These findings provide important insight for healthcare payers regarding the expected real-world costs that enrollees with VHL-CNS-Hb and VHL-pNET may incur over the course of their disease.

Belzutifan for von Hippel-Lindau Disease: Pancreatic Lesion Population of the Phase 2 LITESPARK-004 Study.

PURPOSE: Primary analysis of the ongoing, single-arm, phase 2 LITESPARK-004 study (NCT03401788) showed clinically meaningful antitumor activity in von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease-associated renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and other neoplasms with belzutifan treatment. We describe results of belzutifan treatment for VHL disease-associated pancreatic lesions [pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (pNET) and serous cystadenomas]. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Adults with VHL diagnosis based on germline VHL alteration, ≥1 measurable RCC tumor, no renal tumor >3 cm or other VHL neoplasm requiring immediate surgery, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0 or 1, and no prior systemic anticancer treatment received belzutifan 120 mg once daily. End points included objective response rate (ORR), duration of response (DOR), progression-free survival (PFS), and linear growth rate (LGR) in all pancreatic lesions and pNETs per RECIST version 1.1 by independent review committee, and safety. RESULTS: All 61 enrolled patients (100%) had ≥1 pancreatic lesion and 22 (36%) had ≥1 pNET measurable at baseline. Median follow-up was 37.8 months (range, 36.1-46.1). ORR was 84% [51/61; 17 complete responses (CR)] in pancreatic lesions and 91% (20/22; 7 CRs) in pNETs. Median DOR and median PFS were not reached in pancreatic lesions or pNETs. After starting treatment, median LGR for pNETs was -4.2 mm per year (range, -7.9 to -0.8). Eleven patients (18%) had ≥1 grade 3 treatment-related adverse event (AE). No grade 4 or 5 treatment-related AEs occurred. CONCLUSIONS: Belzutifan continued to show robust activity and manageable safety in VHL disease-associated pNETs.

CT-derived radiomics predict the growth rate of renal tumours in von Hippel-Lindau syndrome.

AIM: To predict renal tumour growth patterns in von Hippel-Lindau syndrome by utilising radiomic features to assist in developing personalised surveillance plans leading to better patient outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study evaluated 78 renal tumours in 55 patients with histopathologically-confirmed clear cell renal cell carcinomas (ccRCCs), which were segmented and radiomics were extracted. Volumetric doubling time (VDT) classified the tumours into fast-growing (VDT <365 days) or slow-growing (VDT ≥365 days). Volumetric and diametric growth analyses were compared between the groups. Multiple logistic regression and random forest classifiers were used to select the best features and models based on their correlation and predictability of VDT. RESULTS: Fifty-five patients (mean age 42.2 ± 12.2 years, 27 men) with a mean time difference of 3.8 ± 2 years between the baseline and preoperative scans were studied. Twenty-five tumours were fast-growing (low VDT, i.e., <365 days), and 53 tumours were slow-growing (high VDT, i.e., ≥365 days). The median volumetric and diametric growth rates were 1.71 cm3/year and 0.31 cm/year. The best feature using univariate analysis was wavelet-HLL_glcm_ldmn (area under the receiver operating characteristic [ROC] curve [AUC] of 0.80, p<0.0001), and with the random forest classifier, it was log-sigma-0-5-mm-3D_glszm_ZonePercentage (AUC: 79). The AUC of the ROC curves using multiple logistic regression was 0.74, and with the random forest classifier was 0.73. CONCLUSION: Radiomic features correlated with VDT and were able to predict the growth pattern of renal tumours in patients with VHL syndrome.

Percutaneous microwave ablation on management of hereditary renal cell carcinoma in Von Hippel-Lindau disease.

BACKGROUND: The effect of microwave ablation (MWA) for the renal cell carcinoma (RCC) in Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease is unclear. OBJECTIVE: To assess the safety, Technique efficacy, renal function and oncological outcome of MWA for RCC in VHL patients. METHODS: Consecutive patients with RCCs in VHL disease treated by MWA were retrospectively collected from November 2009 to October 2020. The technical efficacy rate and complications were assessed. The outcomes of pre- and post-ablative eGFR were compared. The local recurrent-free survival (LRFS), renal-cancer-free survival (RCFS), cancer-specific survival (CSS), overall survival (OS) and complications were presented. RESULTS: A total of 10 patients (mean age, 39.0 years ± 10.7 [SD]; 3 women) with 28 RCCs (mean tumor size, 3.0 cm ± 0.34; mean tumor volume, 20.7 mL ± 43.3) treated with MWA were included. Th median follow-up time was 52 months(IQR:27-80). The overall technical efficacy rate was 100% with no major complications occurred. No significant statistical difference between pre-ablative and postablative creatinine level (102.0 µmol/L ± 30.4 vs 112.3 µmol/L ± 38.7, p = 0.06), but the pre-ablative eGFR level was significantly higher than the post-ablative eGFR (78.0 mL/(min*1.73m2) ± 28.6 vs 72 mL/(min*1.73m2) ± 31.4, p = 0.04), with the mean decrease of 5.86 ml/(min*1.73m2). The local recurrent-free survival(LRFS) and renal-cancer-free survival (RCFS) were 100% and 60%, respectively. The cancer specifical survival (CSS) and overall survival (OS) were 95.5% and 100%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Microwave ablation is a safe and feasible method for the treatment of RCC in VHL disease, preserving renal function and yielding satisfactory oncological outcomes.

A case report of cerebellar hemangioblastoma simulated brain metastasis shown by magnetic resonance imaging.

RATIONALE: Hemangioblastomas occur both sporadically and as an important component of von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease. The typical MRI features of hemangioblastoma are cysts with enhanced cystic wall nodules in the cerebellum or lesions with uniform enhancement on the surface or inside the spinal cord. If there is edema around hemangioblastoma, it is easy to be misdiagnosed as brain metastasis on MRI. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 41-year-old male patient was found to have a lump in the pancreas during a health examination 3 months ago. Subsequently, the patient underwent surgical treatment. The postoperative pathology suggests that the pancreatic lesion is a neuroendocrine tumor. The patient subsequently came to our hospital for consultation on further treatment plans. Abnormal signals were found in the right cerebellum during pituitary magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) before the development of a treatment plan for neuroendocrine tumors. Subsequently, the patient underwent cerebellar mass resection surgery. The pathological result after the surgery was hemangioblastoma. DIAGNOSIS: The patient underwent surgery to remove the tumor and was diagnosed with hemangioblastoma by pathological examination. Subsequently, the patient's genetic testing results confirmed the diagnosis of VHL syndrome. INTERVENTIONS: The patient underwent cerebellar mass resection surgery. OUTCOMES: The patient recovered after surgical resection. LESSONS: In this report, we emphasize the atypical MRI manifestations of hemangioblastoma. For patients with VHL syndrome-related hemangioblastoma, genetic testing is necessary for the patient and their family members.

Hemangioblastomas of the cauda equina: Clinical features and long-term surgical outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Spinal hemangioblastomas (HBs) that involving cauda equina are rare. Data on clinical characteristics and long-term intervention outcomes of patients harboring cauda equina HBs remain lacking due to its scarcity. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to present the clinical-radiological features and treatment results of this rare pathology by using cases from a single center. METHODS: A review of demographic data and intervention outcomes of patients harboring cauda equina HBs in our department between 2009 and 2020 was retrospectively carried out. RESULTS: Ten consecutive adult patients were incorporated, with a slight female predominance (n = 6, 60%). The mean age was 39.9 ± 14.7 (range: 18-58) years. Six patients (60%) had von Hippel‒Lindau (VHL) syndrome and showed multiple symptoms and severe neurological deficits, while 4 (40%) were in the sporadic group and only presented pain symptoms. During follow-up, 3 patients (30%) experienced lesion relapse and underwent repeated surgery. Favorable outcomes were achieved in all patients. CONCLUSION: Cauda equina HBs are rare spinal vascular lesions that should be differentiated from other lumbar canal lesions. Total surgical resection is the main treatment modality and can benefit patients, even recurrent patients. The treatment outcome is usually satisfactory, especially in sporadic cases.

Stereotactic Radiosurgery for Cranial and Spinal Hemangioblastomas: A Single-Institution Retrospective Series.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) has been an attractive treatment modality for both cranial and spinal hemangioblastomas, especially for multiple lesions commonly associated with von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease. This study aims to provide the largest long-term analysis of treatment efficacy and adverse effects of SRS for cranial and spinal hemangioblastomas at a single institution. METHODS: We evaluated the clinical and radiological outcomes of patients with hemangioblastomas treated with CyberKnife SRS at our institute from 1998 to 2022. The follow-up data were available for 135 hemangioblastomas in 35 patients. Twenty-eight patients had 123 hemangioblastomas associated with VHL, and 7 had 12 sporadic hemangioblastomas. The median age was 36 years, and the median tumor volume accounted for 0.4 cc. The SRS was administered with the median single-fraction equivalent dose of 18 Gy to the 77% median isodose line. RESULTS: At a median follow-up of 57 months (range: 3-260), only 20 (16.2%) of the VHL-associated and 1 (8.3%) sporadic hemangioblastomas progressed. The 5-year local tumor control rate was 91.3% for all hemangioblastomas, 91.7% among the sporadic lesions, and 92.9% in patients with VHL. SRS improved tumor-associated symptoms of 98 (74.8%) of 131 symptomatic hemangioblastomas, including headache, neck pain, dizziness, visual disturbances, dysesthesia, ataxia, motor impairment, seizures, and dysphagia. Two patients developed radiation necrosis (5.7%), and 1 of them required surgical resection. CONCLUSION: SRS is a safe and effective treatment option for patients with hemangioblastomas in critical locations, such as the brainstem, cervicomedullary junction, and spinal cord, and in patients with multiple hemangioblastomas associated with VHL disease.

Renal Neuroendocrine Tumor: A Case Report with Evaluation of Grading Criteria and Relationship with Carbonic Anhydrase 9 Immunoreactivity.

Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) are only exceptionally primary to the kidney. At present, scant information is known regarding the behavior and prognosis of renal NETs, especially according to the assessment of grading parameters used for NETs originating from other more commonplace sites such as the pancreas and lungs. There are only rare reports of grade assessment in renal NETs, with most of these reports relying upon now antiquated World Health Organization gastroenteropancreatic and lung/thymus criteria. As an additional prognostic factor, positive CA9 staining in NETs may correlate with elevated grade, stage and risk of metastasis while serving as a potential target of chemotherapy and immunotherapy and indicator of Von Hippel-Lindau Syndrome. Rarer still are descriptions of renal NETs presenting with renal cell carcinoma in the ipsilateral or contralateral kidney. Thus, we present a patient with a primary renal NET of the right kidney with regional lymphovascular invasion and distant metastasis with an emphasis on grading criteria concordant with the World Health Organization 2022 gastroenteropancreatic and lung/thymus systems. In addition, we discuss unusual staining for CA9 in the patient's tumor and a concomitant left kidney clear cell renal cell carcinoma that may act as a clinicopathologic mimic of Von Hippel-Lindau Syndrome.

The von Hippel-Lindau protein forms fibrillar amyloid assemblies that are mitigated by the anti-amyloid molecule Purpurin.

The von Hippel-Lindau protein (pVHL) is a tumor suppressor involved in oxygen regulation via dynamic nucleocytoplasmic shuttling. It plays a crucial role in cell survival by degrading hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs). Mutations in the VHL gene cause angiogenic tumors, characterized as VHL syndrome. However, aggressive tumors involving wild-type pVHL have also been described but the underlying mechanism remains to be revealed. We have previously shown that pVHL possesses several short amyloid-forming motifs, making it aggregation-prone. In this study, using a series of biophysical assays, we demonstrated that a pVHL-derived fragment (pVHL104-140) that harbors the nuclear export motif and HIF binding site, forms amyloid-like fibrillar structures in vitro by following secondary-nucleation-based kinetics. The peptide also formed amyloids at acidic pH that mimics the tumor microenvironment. We, subsequently, validated the amyloid formation by pVHL in vitro. Using the Curli-dependent amyloid generator (C-DAG) expression system, we confirmed the amyloidogenesis of pVHL in bacterial cells. The pVHL amyloids are an attractive target for therapeutics of the VHL syndrome. Accordingly, we demonstrated in vitro that Purpurin is a potent inhibitor of pVHL fibrillation. The amyloidogenic behavior of wild-type pVHL and its inhibition provide novel insights into the molecular underpinning of the VHL syndrome and its possible treatment.

The kidney imaging surveillance scoring system (KISSS): using qualitative MRI features to predict growth rate of renal tumors in patients with von-Hippel Lindau (VHL) syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the reliability of an MRI-based qualitative kidney imaging surveillance scoring system (KISSS) and assess which imaging features predict growth rate (GR) of renal tumors in patients with VHL. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We identified 55 patients with VHL with 128 renal tumors who underwent intervention from 2015 to 2020 at the National Cancer Institute. All patients had 2 preoperative MRIs at least 3 months apart. Two fellowship-trained radiologists scored each tumor on location and MR-sequence-specific imaging parameters from the earlier MRI. Weighted kappa was used to determine the degree of agreement between radiologists for each parameter. GR was calculated as the difference in maximum tumor dimension over time (cm/year). Differences in mean growth rate (MGR) within categories of each imaging variable were assessed by ANOVA. RESULTS: Apart from tumor margin and renal sinus, reliability was at least moderate (K > 0.40) for imaging parameters. Median initial tumor size was 2.1 cm, with average follow-up of 1.2 years. Tumor MGR was 0.42 cm/year. T2 hypointense, mixed/predominantly solid, and high restricted diffusion tumors grew faster. When comparing different combinations of these variables, the model with the lowest mean error among both radiologists utilized only solid/cystic and restricted diffusion features. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrate a novel MR-based scoring system (KISSS) that has good precision with minimal training and can be applied to other qualitative radiology studies. A subset of imaging variables (T2 intensity; restricted diffusion; and solid/cystic) were independently associated with growth rate in VHL renal tumors, with the combination of the latter two most optimal. Additional validation, including in sporadic RCC population, is warranted.

Characterizing and predicting ccRCC-causing missense mutations in Von Hippel-Lindau disease.

BACKGROUND: Mutations within the Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) tumor suppressor gene are known to cause VHL disease, which is characterized by the formation of cysts and tumors in multiple organs of the body, particularly clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). A major challenge in clinical practice is determining tumor risk from a given mutation in the VHL gene. Previous efforts have been hindered by limited available clinical data and technological constraints. METHODS: To overcome this, we initially manually curated the largest set of clinically validated VHL mutations to date, enabling a robust assessment of existing predictive tools on an independent test set. Additionally, we comprehensively characterized the effects of mutations within VHL using in silico biophysical tools describing changes in protein stability, dynamics and affinity to binding partners to provide insights into the structure-phenotype relationship. These descriptive properties were used as molecular features for the construction of a machine learning model, designed to predict the risk of ccRCC development as a result of a VHL missense mutation. RESULTS: Analysis of our model showed an accuracy of 0.81 in the identification of ccRCC-causing missense mutations, and a Matthew's Correlation Coefficient of 0.44 on a non-redundant blind test, a significant improvement in comparison to the previous available approaches. CONCLUSION: This work highlights the power of using protein 3D structure to fully explore the range of molecular and functional consequences of genomic variants. We believe this optimized model will better enable its clinical implementation and assist guiding patient risk stratification and management.