Risk and clinical implications of transformation of follicular lymphoma to diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

PURPOSE: To study the clinical significance of transformation to diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) in patients with follicular lymphoma (FL). PATIENTS AND METHODS: From 1972 to 1999, 325 patients were diagnosed with FL at St Bartholomew's Hospital (London, United Kingdom). With a median follow-up of 15 years, progression occurred in 186 patients and biopsy-proven transformation in 88 of the 325. The overall repeat biopsy rate was 70%. RESULTS: The risk of histologic transformation (HT) by 10 years was 28%, HT not yet having been observed after 16.2 years. The risk was higher in patients with advanced stage (P = .02), high-risk Follicular Lymphoma International Prognostic Index (FLIPI; P = .01), and International Prognostic Index (IPI; P = .04) scores at diagnosis. Expectant management (as opposed to treatment being initiated at diagnosis) also predicted for a higher risk of HT (P = .008). Older age (P = .005), low hemoglobin level (P = .03), high lactate dehydrogenase (P < .0001), and high-risk FLIPI (P = .01) or IPI (P = .003) score at the time of first recurrence were associated with the diagnosis of HT in a biopsy performed at that time. The median survival from transformation was 1.2 years. Patients with HT had a shorter overall survival (P < .0001) and a shorter survival from progression (P < .0001) than did those in whom it was not diagnosed. CONCLUSION: Advanced stage and high-risk FLIPI and IPI scores at diagnosis correlate with an increased risk of HT. This event strongly influences the outcome of patients with FL by shortening their survival. There may be a subgroup of patients in whom HT does not occur.

Presentation serum selenium predicts for overall survival, dose delivery, and first treatment response in aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

PURPOSE: This study was undertaken to test the hypothesis that serum selenium concentration at presentation correlates with dose delivery, first treatment response, and overall survival in patients with aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The patients presented between July 1986 and March 1999 and received anthracycline-based chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or both. The total selenium content was retrospectively analyzed in 100 sera, frozen at presentation, using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. RESULTS: The serum selenium concentration ranged from 0.33 to 1.51 micromol/L (mean, 0.92 micromol/L; United Kingdom adult reference range, 1.07 to 1.88 micromol/L). Serum selenium concentration correlated closely with performance status but with no other clinical variable. Multivariate analysis revealed that increased dose delivery, summarized by an area under the curve, correlated positively with younger age (P <.001), advanced stage (P =.001), and higher serum selenium concentration (P =.032). Selenium level also correlated positively with response (odds ratio, 0.62; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.43 to 0.90; P =.011) and achievement of long-term remission after first treatment (log-rank test, 4.38; P =.036). On multivariate analysis, selenium concentration was positively predictive of overall survival (hazard ratio [HR], 0.76 for 0.2 micromol/L increase; 95% CI, 0.60 to 0.95; P =.018), whereas age indicated negative borderline significance (HR, 1.09; 95% CI, 0.99 to 1.18; P =.066). CONCLUSION: Serum selenium concentration at presentation is a prognostic factor, predicting positively for dose delivery, treatment response, and long-term survival in aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Unlike most existing prognostic factors in aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, selenium supplementation may offer a novel therapeutic strategy in this frequently curable malignancy.

Genome-wide analysis of acute myeloid leukemia with normal karyotype reveals a unique pattern of homeobox gene expression distinct from those with translocation-mediated fusion events.

Gene expression profiles were determined from presentation peripheral blood and bone marrow samples of 28 patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Hierarchical clustering sorted the profiles into separate groups, each representing one of the major cytogenetic classes in AML [i.e., t(8;21), t(15;17), inv(16), 11q23, and normal karyotype]. Statistical group comparison identified genes whose expression was strongly correlated with these chromosomal classes. Moreover, the normal karyotype AMLs were characterized by distinctive up-regulation of certain members of the class I homeobox A and B gene families, implying a common underlying genetic lesion. These data reveal novel diagnostic and therapeutic targets and demonstrate the potential of microarray-based dissection of AML.

Mutations of CEBPA in acute myeloid leukemia FAB types M1 and M2.

CEBPA encodes the transcription factor C/EBPalpha and is specifically up-regulated during granulocytic differentiation. The gene is mutated in approximately 20% of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) FAB type M2 and occurs in the absence of the t(8;21). In much the same way as specific translocations are associated with a particular AML FAB type, the identification of non-random associations of gene mutation with karyotype or FAB type may be helpful in elucidating the molecular basis of certain forms of leukemia. To confirm these initial findings, 99 patients with AML FAB type M1 or M2 were screened for CEBPA mutations by use of a PCR-single-strand conformational polymorphism and sequencing approach. Nine CEBPA mutations were identified in eight patients. The mutations were clustered toward the COOH terminal of the protein and occurred exclusively in the intermediate cytogenetic risk group (8/64, 12.5%). Two patients with biallelic mutation, one homozygous for 1137Ins (57 bp) and another with two CEBPA mutations, 1096Ins (27 bp) and 363Ins (GGCC), were observed. There was no evidence for deletion of this region in the other six mutated samples analyzed by fluorescence in situ hybridization with a BAC clone spanning the CEBPA locus. CEBPA mutation status was not demonstrated to be of prognostic importance in this patient group, although this may reflect the selection and size of the AML population studied. In conclusion, mutation of CEBPA is a recurrent finding in AML and appears specific to the intermediate cytogenetic risk group patients.

Acute myelogenous leukaemia in older patients at St Bartholomew's Hospital: outcome with mitoxantrone and cytarabine.

Elderly patients (age >60 years) with AML who are selected for curative treatment frequently receive anthracycline/cytarabine containing regimens. The anthracendione mitoxantrone (MTN) in combination with cytarabine (Ara-C) produces comparable complete remission rates to other regimens and may be less toxic. Over a 12 year period, 75 patients (median age 67 years, range 60-83 years) referred with newly diagnosed AML were treated with MTN and ara-C. MTN was administered at 12 mg/m(2)/day intravenously for three days in the first 26 patients, and 10 mg/m(2)/day intravenously for five days in a subsequent 49 patients. Ara-C was administered at a dose of 100 mg/m(2) twice daily intravenously for seven days. Complete remission (CR) was achieved in 34 out of 75 patients (45%). The median disease-free survival overall was 7.5 months (one month to nine and a half years). The median survival was one year for patients in whom CR was achieved, compared to four months in patients whom treatment failed (P=0.001). Age alone was predictive of achievement of CR, whilst presentation karyotype, serum LDH and patient age correlated with overall survival. These results confirm that although elderly patients have a poor outcome, prognostic factors can be identified that influence treatment outcome in this important group of patients.

JH probe real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay for Bcl-2/IgH rearrangements.

Follicular lymphoma (FL) characteristically bears the t(14;18)(q32;q21). However, only approximately 75% of the consequent Bcl-2 breakpoints lie within the major breakpoint region (MBR) or the minor cluster region (mcr). While these can be quantified by cluster region-specific real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RQ-PCR), a significant proportion of cases are left requiring a customized approach. Therefore, an RQ-PCR assay for the quantification of Bcl-2/IgH breakpoints has been developed that uses germline JH TaqMan probes and germline JH primers in combination with customized forward primers. Validation of this approach by comparison with an established MBR RQ-PCR showed both techniques to be concordant across a wide range of copy numbers with a sensitivity of five copies per 10(5) cells. In addition, to generate standard curves equating to diverse Bcl-2/IgH rearrangements, a strategy for using placental DNA as a surrogate standard was devised. The performance of the assay in detecting molecular evidence of disease in sequential biopsies from five patients (three with atypical Bcl-2/IgH breakpoints identified by long-range or inverse PCR, one MBR+ and one mcr+) was tested. This alternative approach represents a sensitive and specific means of quantifying common and atypical Bcl-2/IgH rearrangements and maximizes the number of patients with FL suitable for molecular monitoring.

The relative role of peripheral blood and bone marrow for monitoring molecular evidence of disease in follicular lymphoma by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction.

Peripheral blood (PB) and bone marrow (BM) are used interchangeably for t(14;18) (IgH/BCL-2) molecular monitoring in follicular lymphoma (FL) and detection of rearrangement after treatment has been correlated to increased risk of relapse. To determine the relative value of each tissue, MBR t(14;18) was quantified by real-time polymerase chain reaction in 52 simultaneous paired PB and BM samples from 38 FL patients. In total, 79% of sample pairs taken in remission (n = 19) or when no morphological disease was evident in the BM (n = 29) had t(14;18) copy number within one log difference and the median difference was small. These findings suggest that, in remission, PB may be adequately monitored. In general, however, higher copy number was detected in BM than in the corresponding PB sample.

Comparative genomic hybridization and multiplex-fluorescence in situ hybridization: an appraisal in elderly patients with acute myelogenous leukemia.

Comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) and multiplex-fluorescence in situ hybridization (M-FISH) were used to evaluate the presentation karyotype in 15 and 18 patients respectively, aged >/=60 years, with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Conventional G-banded analysis was performed in all patients prior to evaluation. Comparative genomic hybridization confirmed the G-banded karyotype fully in 12 patients and partially in two patients. Normal CGH profiles were observed in patients with a normal karyotype and in one patient with a balanced chromosomal translocation as the sole cytogenetic aberration. Multiplex-fluorescence in situ hybridization provided additional information in two patients with a complex karyotype, but failed to detect a telomeric translocation in one patient. Eight patients with normal G-banded karyotypes appeared normal by M-FISH. These results demonstrate that both CGH and M-FISH analysis correlate well with the G-banded karyotype in AML. Furthermore, although additive cytogenetic data was not provided by either technique in cases with normal karyotype, DNA copy number change and cryptic translocations below the resolution of CGH and M-FISH may still be the initiating event for leukemogenesis for these patients.