ProGraME: A novel flow cytometry algorithm for the diagnosis of low-risk myelodysplastic syndromes in patients with cytopenia.

OBJECTIVES: Flow cytometry (FC) is, together with morphology, genetics, and cytogenetics, used in the diagnostic assessment of cytopenia, as its value in evaluating bone marrow dysplasia been highlighted by several studies. However, despite the development of algorithms and guidelines, there is still a lack of standardization of the FC assessment of bone marrow dysplasia. METHODS: By combining FC, together with morphological analysis and cytogenetic/molecular assessment in a training cohort of 209 patients, we created a novel score, ProGraME, which includes four parameters, each from a different cell lineage (Progenitor cells, Granulocytes, Monocytes, Erythroid precursors), solely based on relevant population gating. Points for ProGraME were attained for: lymphoid precursors ≤5% of all CD34+ cells (1.5 point); a granulocyte-to-lymphocyte side-scatter ratio ≤6 (1 point); a monocyte CD33-CV% ≥ 63 (2 points), and an erythroid precursor CD36-CV% ≥ 65 (2 points). RESULTS: Using a cutoff of ≥2 as suggestive of dysplasia, ProGraME showed a sensitivity of 91% and a specificity of 81% in the training cohort and 95% and 75%, respectively, in an independent validation cohort of 159 patients. In addition, ProGraME had a very high negative predictive value of 97.1% and 97.8% in the training and validation cohorts, respectively, offering a useful tool for excluding bone marrow dysplasia. Finally, among the 23 CCUS patients that scored positive for dysplasia with ProGraME in the training cohort, 16 of them (69%) carried high-risk mutations, suggesting that FC might help identify early changes of dysplasia. CONCLUSIONS: ProGraME can potentially optimize the FC diagnosis of low-risk myelodysplasia without minimal requirements of flow analysis other than accurate population gating.

Prevalence and prognostic value of MYD88 and CD79B mutations in ocular adnexal large B-cell lymphoma: a reclassification of ocular adnexal large B-cell lymphoma.

AIMS: To (1) reclassify ocular adnexal large B-cell lymphomas (OA-LBCLs) per 2016 WHO lymphoma classification and (2) determine the prevalence of MYD88 and CD79B mutations and their association with clinical parameters among OA-LBCLs. METHODS: This study is a retrospective analysis of all OA-LBCLs diagnosed in Denmark between 1980 and 2018. Medical records and tissue samples were retrieved. Thirty-four OA-LBCLs were included. Fluorescence in situ hybridisation and Epstein-Barr-encoded RNA in situ hybridisation were used for the reclassification. Mutational status was established by allele-specific PCR and confirmed by Sanger sequencing. Primary endpoints were overall survival, disease-specific survival (DSS) and progression-free survival (PFS). RESULTS: Two LBCL subtypes were identified: diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) (27 of 32; 84%) and high-grade B-cell lymphoma (HGBL) with MYC and BCL2 and/or BCL6 rearrangements (5 of 32; 16%). cMYC/BCL2 double-expressor DLBCLs had a poorer DSS than non-double-expressor DLBCLs (5-year DSS, 25% vs 78%) (HR 0.23; 95% CI 0.06 to 0.85; p=0.014). MYD88 mutations were present in 10 (29%) of 34 lymphomas and carried a poorer PFS than wild-type cases (5-year PFS, 0% vs 43%) (HR 0.78; 95% CI 0.61 to 0.98; p=0.039). CD79B mutations were present in 3 (9%) of 34 cases. CONCLUSION: OA-LBCL consists mainly of two subtypes: DLBCL and HGBL with MYC and BCL2 and/or BCL6 rearrangements. MYD88 mutations are important drivers of OA-LBCL. MYD88 mutations, as well as cMYC/BCL2 double-expressor DLBCL, appear to be associated with a poor prognosis. Implementing MYD88 mutational analysis in routine diagnostics may improve OA-LBCL prognostication.

Specific location of ocular adnexal lymphoma and mortality: an international multicentre retrospective study.

AIMS: To examine whether the specific location of ocular adnexal lymphoma (OAL) and the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) TNM tumour stage are prognostic factors for mortality in the main OAL subtypes. METHODS: Clinical and survival data were retrospectively collected from seven international eye cancer centres. All patients from 1980 to 2017 with histologically verified primary or secondary OAL were included. Cox regression was used to compare the ocular adnexal tumour locations on all-cause mortality and disease-specific mortality. RESULTS: OAL was identified in 1168 patients. The most frequent lymphoma subtypes were extranodal marginal zone B-cell lymphoma (EMZL) (n=688, 59%); follicular lymphoma (FL) (n=150, 13%); diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) (n=131, 11%); and mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) (n=89, 8%). AJCC/TNM tumour-stage (T-stage) was significantly associated with disease-specific mortality in primary ocular adnexal EMZL and increased through T-categories from T1 to T3 disease. No associations between AJCC/TNM T-stage and mortality were found in primary ocular adnexal FL, DLBCL, or MCL. EMZL located in the eyelid had a significantly increased disease-specific mortality compared with orbital and conjunctival EMZL, in both primary EMZL and the full EMZL cohort. In DLBCL, eyelid location had a significantly higher disease-specific mortality compared with an orbital or lacrimal gland location. CONCLUSION: Disease-specific mortality is associated with AJCC/TNM T-stage in primary ocular adnexal EMZL patients. Lymphoma of the eyelid has the highest disease-specific mortality in primary EMZL, and in the full cohort of EMZL and DLBCL patients.

Blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm and cerebral toxoplasmosis: a case report.

BACKGROUND: The present case contributes to the limited literature on central nervous system involvement of blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN).  CASE PRESENTATION : A 63-year-old male presented to the department of neurology with a three-day history of rapidly progressing headache, fatigue, and confusion. Physical examination revealed multiple bruise-like skin lesions. Initial laboratory workup raised suspicion of acute leukemia, and a brain computer tomography identified several hyperdense processes. A bone marrow biopsy gave the diagnosis BPDCN, a rare and aggressive hematologic malignancy derived from plasmacytoid dendritic cells with a poor prognosis. Lumbar puncture showed not only signs of BPDCN, but also cerebral toxoplasmosis, thus providing a differential diagnosis. Despite intensive systemic and intrathecal chemotherapy, the patient died 25 days later due to multi-organ failure. DISCUSSION: The exact incidence of BPDCN is unknown and perhaps underestimated but may account for 0.5 - 1% of all hematological malignancies. The median age at onset is 60 to 70 years, and most patients are men. Cutaneous lesions are the most frequent clinical manifestation at diagnosis. Other symptoms present at time of diagnosis or during disease progression include lymphadenopathy, splenomegaly and cytopenia caused by bone marrow involvement. Although the majority of BPDCN patients have no symptoms or signs of central nervous system involvement, plasmacytoid dendritic cells have been detected in the cerebrospinal fluid in more than 50%. CONCLUSIONS: This case highlights the importance of considering hematological malignancies as a differential diagnosis in patients developing acute neurological symptoms and raises suspicion of a possible association between toxoplasmosis and hematological malignancies.

A predictive model for bone marrow disease in cytopenia based on noninvasive procedures.

Bone marrow specimens are the core of the diagnostic workup of patients with cytopenia. To explore whether next-generation sequencing (NGS) could be used to rule out malignancy without bone marrow specimens, we incorporated NGS in a model to predict presence of disease in the bone marrow of patients with unexplained cytopenia. We analyzed the occurrence of mutations in 508 patients with cytopenia, referred for primary workup of a suspected hematologic malignancy from 2015 to 2020. We divided patients into a discovery (n = 340) and validation (n = 168) cohort. Targeted sequencing, bone marrow biopsy, and complete blood count were performed in all patients. Mutations were identified in 267 (53%) and abnormal bone marrow morphology in 188 (37%) patients. Patients with isolated neutropenia had the lowest frequency of both mutations (21%) and abnormal bone marrow morphology (5%). The median number of mutations per patient was 2 in patients with abnormal bone marrow morphology compared with 0 in patients with a nondiagnostic bone marrow morphology (P < .001). In a multivariable logistic regression, mutations in TET2, SF3B1, U2AF1, TP53, and RUNX1 were significantly associated with abnormal bone marrow morphology. In the validation cohort, a model combining mutational status and clinical data identified 34 patients (20%) without abnormal bone marrow morphology with a sensitivity of 100% (95% confidence interval: 93%-100%). Overall, we show that NGS combined with clinical data can predict the presence of abnormal bone marrow morphology in patients with unexplained cytopenia and thus can be used to assess the need of a bone marrow biopsy.

Histiocytic Sarcoma: Challenging Course, Dismal Outcome.

Histiocytic sarcoma (HS) is a rare hematopoietic neoplasm derived from non-Langerhans histiocytic cells of the monocyte/macrophage system. With an incidence of 0.17/million individuals and a slight male preference, HS presents with a wide age distribution. Most commonly, it occurs as a primary malignancy. In approximately 25% of the cases a presumed transdifferentiation of a preexisting hematolymphoid disorder can be demonstrated. The clinical presentation varies from a localized solitary mass to severe disseminated disease often with extranodal involvement including skin, soft tissue, the gastrointestinal tract and the hematopoietic system. Systemic symptoms in terms of weight loss, fever and night sweats often occur. The diagnostic work-up of HS is extremely challenging due to the rarity of the disease as well as a wide differential diagnosis in terms of a histologic overlap with diverse mimics. No standardized treatment for HS exists and especially in a disseminated disease the clinical course is overly aggressive with a dismal outcome. The median overall survival from the time of diagnosis is approximately six months. We report a 43-year-old previously healthy Caucasian male admitted to our hospitals with abdominal pain and a feeling of fatigue. We demonstrate both the challenges of a correct diagnosis and an effective treatment as well as the aggressive nature of histiocytic sarcoma.

Ocular adnexal lymphoma in Denmark: a nationwide study of 387 cases from 1980 to 2017.

BACKGROUND: Nationwide studies of ocular adnexal lymphoma (OAL) are very rare in the literature, and knowledge on incidence, subtype distribution and long-term survival data is limited. This is the largest national study of OAL to date. This study sought to find information on incidence, changes in incidence, clinical findings, distribution of subtypes, survival and prognostic factors. METHODS: Patients diagnosed with OAL from January 1, 1980 to December 31, 2017 were identified in Danish registers, and clinical as well as survival data were collected. The data were analysed with Kaplan-Meier plots and log-rank test. RESULTS: 387 patients were included in the study. The major lymphoma subtypes were extranodal marginal-zone B cell lymphoma (EMZL) (55%), diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) (13%), mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) (11%) and follicular lymphoma (FL) (10%). OAL is a disease of the elderly (median age 69 years). The incidence of lymphoma of the ocular adnexal region has increased significantly throughout the time period of the study (Pearson correlation coefficient, r=0.65; P<0.001). In the period 1980-1984, the incidence was 0.086 per 100 000, which increased to 0.307 per 100 000 in the period 2013-2017. Low-grade, low-stage primary lymphomas were treated with radiotherapy, whereas patients with high-stage, high-grade and/or relapsed disease were treated with chemotherapy. Low-grade subtypes EMZL (89%) and FL (56%) had better 10-year disease-specific survival than the high-grade lymphomas DLBCL (38%) and MCL (31%)(p<0.001). CONCLUSION: OAL is increasing in incidence in the Danish population for unknown reasons. However, the prognosis for most OAL is favourable, as highlighted in this national long-term study.

International multicentre retrospective cohort study of ocular adnexal marginal zone B-cell lymphoma.

BACKGROUNDS/AIMS: To date, this is the largest cohort study on extranodal marginal zone B-cell lymphoma (EMZL) of the ocular adnexa (OA). The aim of the study was to characterise the clinical features of OA-EMZL. METHODS: A retrospective multicentre study involving seven international eye cancer centres. Data were collected from 1 January 1980 through 31 December 2017. A total of 689 patients with OA-EMZL were included. RESULTS: The median follow-up time was 42 months. The median age was 62 years (range, 8-100 years), and 55 % (378/689 patients) of patients were women. The majority of patients (82%, 558/680 patients) were diagnosed with primary OA-EMZL with Ann Arbor stage IE (90%, 485/541 patients) and American Joint Committee on Cancer stage T2 (61%, 340/557 patients) at the time of diagnosis. The orbit (66%, 452/689 patients) and the conjunctiva (37%, 255/689 patients) were the most frequently involved anatomical structures. The 5-year, 10-year and 20-year disease-specific survival (DSS) were 96%, 91% and 90%, respectively. Stage IE patients treated with external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) as monotherapy (10-year DSS, 95%) were found to have a better DSS than stage IE patients treated with chemotherapy (10-year DSS, 86%). Stage IIIE/IVE patients treated with chemotherapy and rituximab had a better DSS (10-year DSS, 96%) than stage IIIE/IVE patients treated with chemotherapy without rituximab (10-year DSS, 63%). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: EMZL is a slow-growing tumour with an excellent long-term survival. Low-dose EBRT as monotherapy should be considered in localised OA-EMZL. Rituximab-based chemotherapy should be chosen in those patients with disseminated disease.

The diagnostic and prognostic role of flow cytometry in idiopathic and clonal cytopenia of undetermined significance (ICUS/CCUS): A single-center analysis of 79 patients.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic role of multiparameter flow cytometry (FC) in patients with idiopathic cytopenia of undetermined significance (ICUS) and clonal cytopenia of undetermined significance (CCUS). METHODS: We performed FC using a standardized panel and two different diagnostic algorithms (Ogata, Wells) in a well-characterized cohort of 79 patients with ICUS/CCUS and compared it with a retrospective blinded morphological evaluation and data from targeted next-generation DNA sequencing of 20 myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS)-related genes. RESULTS: Our data show that FC has low sensitivity in distinguishing CCUS from ICUS patients (40.5% for Ogata score and 59.5% for Wells score). The Wells score was suggestive of dysplasia in ICUS/CCUS patients with concurrent morphological signs of dysplasia in the bone marrow (following re-evaluation by two hematopathologists) and in CCUS patients with a higher mutational burden. Eight patients with ICUS/CCUS from our cohort progressed to another myeloid malignancy (MDS, acute myeloid leukemia, or chronic myelomonocytic leukemia), all showing flow cytometric signs of dysplasia. CONCLUSION: FC performs poorly in diagnosing CCUS versus ICUS. However, it can potentially provide prognostic information in cytopenic patients by identifying a subgroup of patients with a higher grade of dysplasia, higher mutational burden, and higher risk of progression and, together with mutational screening, also identify a group of patients who might require morphological reassessment of dysplastic changes in their bone marrow.

Orbital Lymphoma-An International Multicenter Retrospective Study.

PURPOSE: To investigate and characterize the clinical features of subtype-specific orbital lymphoma. DESIGN: Retrospective, interventional case series. METHODS: The study included 7 international eye cancer centers. Patient data were collected from January 1, 1980 through December 31, 2017. A total of 797 patients with a histologically verified orbital lymphoma were included. The primary endpoints were overall survival, disease-specific survival, and progression-free survival. RESULTS: The median age was 64 years, and 51% of patients (n = 407) were male. The majority of lymphomas were of B-cell origin (98%, n = 779). Extranodal marginal zone B-cell lymphoma (EMZL) was the most frequent subtype (57%, n = 452), followed by diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) (15%, n = 118), follicular lymphoma (FL) (11%, n = 91), and mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) (8%, n = 66). Localized Ann Arbor stage IE EMZL and FL were frequently treated with external beam radiation therapy. DLBCL, MCL, and disseminated EMZL and FL were primarily treated with chemotherapy. EMZL and FL patients had a markedly better prognosis (10-year disease-specific survival of 92% and 71%, respectively) than DLBCL and MCL patients (10-year disease-specific survival of 41% and 32%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Four lymphoma subtypes were primarily found in patients with orbital lymphoma: EMZL, DLBCL, FL, and MCL. The histologic subtype was found to be the main predictor for outcome, with EMZL and FL patients having a markedly better prognosis than DLBCL and MCL.

Lymphoma of the Eyelid - An International Multicenter Retrospective Study.

PURPOSE: To document subtype-specific clinical features of lymphoma of the eyelid, and their effect on patient outcome. DESIGN: Retrospective observational case series. METHODS: Patient data were collected from 7 international eye cancer centers from January 1, 1980 through December 31, 2015. The cases included primary and secondary lymphomas affecting the eyelid. Overall survival, disease-specific survival (DSS), and progression-free survival were the primary endpoints. RESULTS: Eighty-six patients were included. Mean age was 63 years and 47 (55%) were male. Non-Hodgkin B-cell lymphomas constituted 83% (n = 71) and T-cell lymphomas constituted 17% (n = 15). The most common subtypes were extranodal marginal-zone lymphoma (EMZL) (37% [n = 32]), follicular lymphoma (FL) (23% [n = 20]), diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) (10% [n = 9]), mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) (8% [n = 7]), and mycosis fungoides (MF) (9% [n = 8]). EMZL had a female predilection (69% [22 of 32]), whereas MCL (71% [5 of 7]) and MF (88% [7 of 8]) had a male predominance. MCL (57% [4 of 7]), DLBCL (56% [5 of 9]), and MF (88% [7 of 8]) were frequently secondary lymphomas. Localized EMZL and FL were mostly treated with external beam radiation therapy, whereas DLBCL, MCL, and high Ann Arbor stage EMZL and FL were frequently treated with chemotherapy. DLBCL and MCL had a poor prognosis (5-year DSS, 21% and 50%, respectively), whereas EMZL, FL, and MF had a good prognosis (5-year DSS, 88%, 88% and 86%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Lymphoma of the eyelid consists mainly of the lymphoma subtypes EMZL, FL, DLBCL, MCL, and MF. High-grade DLBCL and MCL, as well as MF, are frequently secondary eyelid lymphomas. The main predictor of outcome was the histologic subtype: EMZL, FL, and MF had a significantly better prognosis than MCL and DLBCL.

Mutations in idiopathic cytopenia of undetermined significance assist diagnostics and correlate to dysplastic changes.

Cytopenia is common in the elderly population and etiology may be difficult to assess. Here, we investigated the occurrence of mutations in patients with idiopathic cytopenia of undetermined significance and the usefulness in improving diagnostics. We included 60 patients with persistent cytopenia > 6 months without definite diagnosis of hematological neoplasm after routine assessment. Bone marrow material underwent a blinded morphology review and DNA was sequenced with a targeted 20 gene panel representing the most commonly mutated genes in myelodysplastic syndrome. Thirty seven (62%) patients carried at least one mutation at inclusion, and of these 95% carried a mutation in TET2, ASXL1, SRSF2, or DNMT3A. The most commonly mutated gene was TET2 observed in 43% of all patients. During one to eight years follow-up seven patients progressed to a myeloid neoplasm and six of these had a detectable mutation at study entry. Median time to progression was 53 months (range 10-78), and at time of progression each patient had at least two mutations detected. Mutations in TP53 and NRAS were not present in patients at inclusion, but identified as secondary hits triggering progression. The morphology review was concordant in 68% of all cases, and 93% of the cases reclassified into the group "highly suspicious for MDS" had a mutation. All patients who had a concordant review "highly suspicious for MDS" had at least two mutations detected. Overall, we show that morphology examination is challenging in this heterogeneous group and targeted sequencing helps identify patients at risk of progression. Am. J. Hematol. 91:1234-1238, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Tumor suppressor microRNAs are downregulated in myelodysplastic syndrome with spliceosome mutations.

Spliceosome mutations are frequently observed in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). However, it is largely unknown how these mutations contribute to the disease. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs, which have been implicated in most human cancers due to their role in post transcriptional gene regulation. The aim of this study was to analyze the impact of spliceosome mutations on the expression of miRNAs in a cohort of 34 MDS patients. In total, the expression of 76 miRNAs, including mirtrons and splice site overlapping miRNAs, was accurately quantified using reverse transcriptase quantitative PCR. The majority of the studied miRNAs have previously been implicated in MDS. Stably expressed miRNA genes for normalization of the data were identified using GeNorm and NormFinder algorithms. High-resolution melting assays covering all mutational hotspots within SF3B1, SRSF2, and U2AF1 (U2AF35) were developed, and all detected mutations were confirmed by Sanger sequencing. Overall, canonical miRNAs were downregulated in spliceosome mutated samples compared to wild-type (P = 0.002), and samples from spliceosome mutated patients clustered together in hierarchical cluster analyses. Among the most downregulated miRNAs were several tumor-suppressor miRNAs, including several let-7 family members, miR-423, and miR-103a. Finally, we observed that the predicted targets of the most downregulated miRNAs were involved in apoptosis, hematopoiesis, and acute myeloid leukemia among other cancer- and metabolic pathways. Our data indicate that spliceosome mutations may play an important role in MDS pathophysiology by affecting the expression of tumor suppressor miRNA genes involved in the development and progression of MDS.

Ophthalmic lymphoma: epidemiology and pathogenesis.

With a lifetime risk of 1% and 700 new cases per year, Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) is the seventh most frequent type of cancer in Denmark. The incidence of NHL has increased considerably in Western countries over the last decades; consequently, NHL is an increasing clinical problem. Ophthalmic lymphoma, (lymphoma localized in the ocular region, i.e. eyelid, conjunctiva, lacrimal sac, lacrimal gland, orbit, or intraocularly) is relatively uncommon, accounting for 5%-10% of all extranodal lymphomas. It is, however, the most common orbital malignancy. The purpose of this thesis was to review specimens from all Danish patients with a diagnosis of ophthalmic lymphoma during the period 1980-2005, in order to determine the distribution of lymphoma subtypes, and the incidence- and time trends in incidence for ophthalmic lymphoma. Furthermore, an extended analysis of the most frequent subtype, extranodal marginal zone lymphoma (MALT lymphoma), was done to analyse clinical factors and cytogenetic changes with influence on prognosis. A total of 228 Danish patients with a biopsy-reviewed verified diagnosis of ocular adnexal-, orbital-, or intraocular lymphoma were identified. We found that more than 50% of orbital- and ocular adnexal lymphomas were of the MALT lymphoma subtype, whereas diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) predominated intraocularly (Sjo et al. 2008a). Furthermore, lymphoma arising in the lacrimal sac was surprisingly predominantly DLBCL (Sjo et al. 2006). Incidence rates were highly dependent on patient age. There was an increase in incidence rates for the whole population from 1980 to 2005, corresponding to an annual average increase of 3.4% (Sjo et al. 2008a). MALT lymphoma arising in the ocular region was found in 116 patients (Sjo et al. 2008b). One third of patients had a relapse or progression of disease after initial therapy and relapses were frequently found at extra-ocular sites. Overall survival, however, was not significantly poorer for patients with relapse. Furthermore, we found that the frequency of translocations involving the MALT1- and IGH-gene loci is low in ocular region MALT lymphoma (2 of 42, 5%), but may predict increased risk of relapse (Sjo et al. 2008b). In conclusion the incidence of ophthalmic lymphoma is increasing at a high rate in Denmark. Ophthalmic lymphoma consists primarily of MALT lymphoma. The molecular pathogenesis of MALT lymphoma arising in the ocular region rarely involves translocations in the MALT1- and IGH-gene loci.

[Extranodal marginal zone lymphoma of the ocular adnexa]. / Ekstranodalt marginalzonelymfom i øjets adnexa.

INTRODUCTION: Lymphoma of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT lymphoma) is among the most common malignant lymphomas of the ocular adnexa and it furthermore shows an increasing incidence. The disease is most often localized and indolent of nature; gentle treatment is therefore of essence to avoid complications, especially visual impairment. MALT lymphoma can be treated with radiotherapy (RT), but in case of relapse, alternatives are required. New treatment modalities such as anti-cluster of differentiation (CD)-20 monoclonal antibodies (rituximab) and local injection of interferon-alpha have shown promising results. MATERIAL AND METHODS: During the 2001-2006 period, nine patients with MALT lymphoma of the ocular adnexa were treated with RT at the Copenhagen University Hospital, Denmark. The visual acuity of six of the nine patients was evaluated before and after receiving RT. RESULTS: All nine patients achieved complete remission after a total RT dose of 26 Gy. One patient relapsed after 26 months and was then successfully treated with rituximab. Furthermore, one patient experienced a striking improvement of vision after RT: from 2/60 to 6/6 in the affected eye. The visual acuity of five patients was either constant or decreased a maximum of one line on Snellen's Chart. CONCLUSION: RT is effective in treatment of MALT lymphomas of the ocular adnexa. Rituximab showed an excellent result in one patient with recurrent disease. However, latent infections such as hepatitis B virus (HBV) should be considered before rituximab is administered.

Profiling of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma by immunohistochemistry: identification of prognostic subgroups.

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is a frequent lymphoma subtype with a heterogeneous behavior and a variable response to conventional chemotherapy. This clinical diversity is believed to reflect differences in the molecular pathways leading to lymphomagenesis. In this study, we have analyzed pretreatment, diagnostic samples from 108 DLBCL by immunohistology for expression of four markers linked to germinal center B-cells (CD10, Bcl-6), postgerminal center B-cells (MUM1) and apoptosis (Bcl-2). The results indicate that both CD10 and Bcl-6 are favorable prognostic indicators, in contrast to Bcl-2, which is an adverse parameter. Furthermore, using two algorithms for distinction between low- and high-risk patients proposed by Hans et al. (Blood, 2004; 103:275) and Muris et al. (Journal of Pathology, 2006; 208:714), it is shown that both are useful for predicting outcome in DLBCL. However, in this report, the algorithm of Hans et al. was superior to that of Muris et al. These findings confirm and extend other studies and indicate that different prognostic subgroups of DLBCL can be distinguished by simple immunohistological investigations for a limited number of markers. Whether these groups are also relevant for individual treatment decisions will be important to investigate in prospective studies.