ABSTRACT
Mutations in UBA1, which are disease-defining for VEXAS syndrome, have been reported in patients diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). Here, we define the prevalence and clinical associations of UBA1 mutations in a representative cohort of patients with MDS. Digital droplet PCR profiling of a selected cohort of 375 male patients lacking MDS disease-defining mutations or established WHO disease classification identified 28 patients (7%) with UBA1 p.M41T/V/L mutations. Using targeted sequencing of UBA1 in a representative MDS cohort (n=2,027), we identified an additional 27 variants in 26 patients (1%), which we classified as likely/pathogenic (n=12) and unknown significance (n=15). Among the total 40 patients with likely/pathogenic variants (2%), all were male and 63% were classified by WHO2016 as MDS-MLD/SLD. Patients had a median of one additional myeloid gene mutation, often in TET2 (n=12), DNMT3A (n=10), ASXL1 (n=3), or SF3B1 (n=3). Retrospective clinical review where possible showed that 83% (28/34) UBA1-mutant cases had VEXAS-associated diagnoses or inflammatory clinical presentation. The prevalence of UBA1-mutations in MDS patients argues for systematic screening for UBA1 in the management of MDS.
ABSTRACT
We present the case of a 64-year-old man diagnosed with large B-cell lymphoma who relapsed twice after standard-of-care therapy. Due to persisting cytopenia, Next generation sequencing analysis was performed, revealing a small TP53-mutated clone. As a third-line therapy, the patient was treated with CAR-T cells, which resulted in complete remission. However, this treatment also led to the expansion of the TP53-mutated clone and therapy-related myelodysplasia with a complex aberrant karyotype. This case may serve as a paradigmatic example of clonal hematopoietic progression in a patient undergoing CAR-T cell therapy, especially in the context of a TP53-mutated clone.
