OBJECTIVES: Some therapeutic monoclonal antibodies, like daratumumab and elotuzumab, produce interfering monoclonal bands on serum protein electrophoresis (SPEP) and immunofixation electrophoresis (IFE). Whether other common therapeutic antibodies also produce interference has not been systematically evaluated. DESIGN AND METHODS: SPEP/IFE from patients receiving isatuximab (48 patients), belantamab mafodotin (BM; 41), and denosumab (41) were retrospectively reviewed for therapeutic antibody interference. Cases exhibiting isatuximab interference were quantified and the maximum duration of isatuximab effect was evaluated. To characterize band position, neat human serum was spiked with BM or denosumab at supratherapeutic concentrations. Band migration patterns were compared on SPEP and IFE, with band position expressed relative to other constant protein fractions. RESULTS: Isatuximab-induced IFE interference was common (81.3 % of evaluated patients) with a maximum observed duration of 8 weeks. 10.4 % of isatuximab patients had IgG kappa monoclonal gammopathies that co-migrated with the drug; this subset could benefit from HYDRASHIFT 2/4 isatuximab testing. 8.3 % of IFE cases were negative for an isatuximab band but showed large, endogenous M-spikes migrating elsewhere. All patients in this group expired within 1 year of this finding. We hypothesize that an inability to detect isatuximab in this setting corresponds to a large residual myeloma burden that reduces isatuximab serum concentration. This observation may serve as a negative prognostic factor. Spiking studies demonstrated that BM and denosumab produce interference in vitro, but sustained interference was not observed in >40 treated patients. CONCLUSIONS: Therapeutic antibody interference in patients receiving isatuximab is common, and can persist for at least 8 weeks after administration. >10 % of patients receiving isatuximab may benefit from HYDRASHIFT testing post-therapy. In contrast, BM and denosumab fail to produce sustained interference in treated patients.
Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized , Denosumab , Multiple Myeloma , Humans , Denosumab/therapeutic use , Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized/therapeutic use , Retrospective Studies , Multiple Myeloma/drug therapy , Multiple Myeloma/blood , Blood Protein Electrophoresis/methods , Female , Male , Aged , Middle Aged , Antibodies, Monoclonal , Immunoelectrophoresis/methods
Myoepithelial neoplasms of the skin and soft tissue are rare and share histopathologic features with their salivary gland counterpart. We present a case of an atypical myoepithelial neoplasm from the back of a 72-year-old female. This lesion harbored an EWSR1::NR4A3 gene fusion, a genetic signature characteristically seen in extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcoma. To our knowledge, this is a unique case of an atypical cutaneous myoepithelial neoplasm harboring EWSR1::NR4A3 fusion.
Chondrosarcoma , Myoepithelioma , Neoplasms, Connective and Soft Tissue , Receptors, Steroid , Skin Neoplasms , Soft Tissue Neoplasms , Female , Humans , Aged , Oncogene Proteins, Fusion/genetics , RNA-Binding Protein EWS/genetics , Chondrosarcoma/pathology , Gene Fusion , Soft Tissue Neoplasms/pathology , DNA-Binding Proteins/genetics , Receptors, Thyroid Hormone/genetics
BACKGROUND: Therapeutic monoclonal antibodies can be a source of assay interference in clinical serum protein electrophoresis (SPEP) and immunofixation electrophoresis (IFE), producing monoclonal bands that can be misinterpreted as a monoclonal gammopathy related to a B-cell or plasma cell neoplasm. The extent to which new anti-COVID-19 monoclonal antibodies produce this interference is unknown. METHODS: Casirivimab plus imdevimab, sotrovimab, and bamlanivimab plus etesevimab were spiked into patient serum samples to evaluate for SPEP/IFE interference, to characterize the position of therapy-derived bands relative to a reference band (either combined beta band or beta 1 band, depending on instrument platform), and to confirm heavy and light chain utilization of each medication. Serum samples from patients who had recently received casirivimab plus imdevimab or sotrovimab were also evaluated for comparison. RESULTS: When spiked into serum samples, all tested anti-COVID-19 monoclonal antibodies generated interference in SPEP/IFE. Importantly, the patterns of interference differed between spiked serum samples and serum from patients who had recently received casirivimab plus imdevimab or sotrovimab. CONCLUSIONS: Imdevimab can be added to the growing list of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies that produce sustained interference in SPEP/IFE. Although casirivimab and sotrovimab also produce assay interference in vitro, these antibodies are not reliably detected in serum from recently infused patients. The value of relative band position in recognizing bands that may represent therapeutic monoclonal antibodies is also emphasized. Clinicians and laboratorians should consider therapeutic monoclonal antibody interference in diagnostic SPEP/IFE and review a patient's medication list when new or transient monoclonal bands are identified.
Antibodies, Monoclonal , COVID-19 Drug Treatment , COVID-19 , Humans , Electrophoresis , COVID-19/diagnosis
Chordoid gliomas arise near the third ventricle and commonly present around 40 years of age. These rare tumors are non-invasive and often present with headaches and visual disturbances. Contrast enhancement on MRI is typical for these tumors and immunohistochemical (IHC) staining is positive for glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). Surgical resection is the treatment of choice. We present this case of chordoid glioma because of its unique characteristics. The tumor lacked contrast enhancement on MRI and demonstrated juxtanuclear dot-like immunoreactivity for synaptophysin which is a feature not previously reported in the literature. It is important for pathologists and radiologists to be on the lookout for atypical presentations of these rare tumors.
The following fictional case is intended as a learning tool within the Pathology Competencies for Medical Education (PCME), a set of national standards for teaching pathology. These are divided into three basic competencies: Disease Mechanisms and Processes, Organ System Pathology, and Diagnostic Medicine and Therapeutic Pathology. For additional information, and a full list of learning objectives for all three competencies, see http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/2374289517715040.1.
