COVID-19 y leucemia/linfoma T del adulto, sinergia mortal / COVID-19 and adult T cell leukemia-lymphoma: a deadly synergy

La leucemia/linfoma T del adulto es una neoplasia maligna de mal pronóstico frecuente en población anciana. Se presenta el caso de una mujer de 44 años de edad, de Ayacucho, diagnosticada con el subtipo linfomatoso de esta enfermedad e infección por virus linfotrópico T humano-I; mostró síndrome oclusivo de vena cava superior con tratamiento de quimioterapia sistémica bajo régimen de dosis ajustada con rituximab más etoposido, prednisona, vincristina, ciclofosfamida y doxorubicina. Posteriormente ingresó en emergencia por presentar dificultad respiratoria, tos seca, disminución de la conciencia, hipercalcemia, tomografía de tórax con patrón heterogéneo consolidativo en ambos pulmones y PCR en hisopado nasofaríngeo positivo a COVID-19. Recibió tratamiento de hidroxicloroquina, azitromicina, corticoides e ivermectina con pobre respuesta, rápido deterioro y fallece días después. La leucemia/linfoma T del adulto a edad temprana es rara y está relacionada con infecciones crónicas como strongyloides o tuberculosis, susceptible ante el padecimiento de COVID-19.

Adult T cell leukemia-lymphoma is a common malignancy with a poor prognosis in the elderly population. We present a 44-year-old woman from Ayacucho who was diagnosed with a lymphoma subtype of this disease and a human T-lymphotropic virus-I infection; she showed superior vena cava occlusive syndrome with systemic chemotherapy treatment under an adjusted-dose regimen with rituximab plus etoposide, prednisone, vincristine, cyclophosphamide and doxorubicin. Subsequently, she was admitted to the emergency service due to respiratory distress, dry cough, decreased consciousness, hipercalcemia, chest tomography with a heterogeneous consolidation pattern in both lungs and positive RT-PCR nasopharyngeal swab test for COVID-19. She received treatment with hydroxychloroquine, azithromycin, corticosteroids and ivermectin with a poor response, rapid deterioration and died later. Adult T cell leukemia-lymphoma at an early age is rare and is related to chronic infections such as strongyloides or tuberculosis, susceptible to COVID-19.

Efficacy and safety of mitoxantrone hydrochloride liposome injection in treatment of peripheral T-cell lymphomas: a multicenter, non-interventional, ambispective cohort, real-world study (MOMENT) / 白血病·淋巴瘤

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of mitoxantrone hydrochloride liposome injection in the treatment of peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL) in a real-world setting.Methods:This was a real-world ambispective cohort study (MOMENT study) (Chinese clinical trial registry number: ChiCTR2200062067). Clinical data were collected from 198 patients who received mitoxantrone hydrochloride liposome injection as monotherapy or combination therapy at 37 hospitals from January 2022 to January 2023, including 166 patients in the retrospective cohort and 32 patients in the prospective cohort; 10 patients in the treatment-na?ve group and 188 patients in the relapsed/refractory group. Clinical characteristics, efficacy and adverse events were summarized, and the overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were analyzed.Results:All 198 patients were treated with mitoxantrone hydrochloride liposome injection for a median of 3 cycles (range 1-7 cycles); 28 cases were treated with mitoxantrone hydrochloride liposome injection as monotherapy, and 170 cases were treated with the combination regimen. Among 188 relapsed/refractory patients, 45 cases (23.9%) were in complete remission (CR), 82 cases (43.6%) were in partial remission (PR), and 28 cases (14.9%) were in disease stabilization (SD), and 33 cases (17.6%) were in disease progression (PD), with an objective remission rate (ORR) of 67.6% (127/188). Among 10 treatment-na?ve patients, 4 cases (40.0%) were in CR, 5 cases (50.0%) were in PR, and 1 case (10.0%) was in PD, with an ORR of 90.0% (9/10). The median follow-up time was 2.9 months (95% CI 2.4-3.7 months), and the median PFS and OS of patients in relapsed/refractory and treatment-na?ve groups were not reached. In relapsed/refractory patients, the difference in ORR between patients with different number of treatment lines of mitoxantrone hydrochloride liposome injection [ORR of the second-line, the third-line and ≥the forth-line treatment was 74.4% (67/90), 73.9% (34/46) and 50.0% (26/52)] was statistically significant ( P = 0.008). Of the 198 PTCL patients, 182 cases (91.9%) experienced at least 1 time of treatment-related adverse events, and the incidence rate of ≥grade 3 adverse events was 66.7% (132/198), which was mainly characterized by hematologic adverse events. The ≥ grade 3 hematologic adverse events mainly included decreased lymphocyte count, decreased neutrophil count, decreased white blood cell count, and anemia; non-hematologic adverse events were mostly grade 1-2, mainly including pigmentation disorders and upper respiratory tract infection. Conclusions:The use of mitoxantrone hydrochloride liposome injection-containing regimen in the treatment of PTCL has definite efficacy and is well tolerated, and it is a new therapeutic option for PTCL patients.

Clinical treatment analysis of newly treated peripheral T-cell lymphoma / 白血病·淋巴瘤

Objective:To investigate the treatment methods of peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL).Methods:The clinical data of 251 newly treated PTCL patients in the First Hospital of Jilin University from August 2011 to October 2021 were retrospectively analyzed, from which 168 patients were intercepted from February 2015 (the first targeted drug of PTCL, chidamide, was launched in China) to October 2021, among which 20 patients received chemotherapy combined with brentuximab vedotin (BV, BV group), 37 patients received chemotherapy combined with chidamide (chidamide group), and 111 patients received non-targeted therapy (non-targeted therapy group); all patients received ≥2 courses of treatment. Ten patients received autologous peripheral blood hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, with non-transplanted patients in the same period as controls. The clinical efficacy and prognosis of patients with different treatment methods were analyzed. Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival analysis and log-rank test was performed.Results:Of all 251 patients with PTCL, 26.7% (67/251) received targeted therapy in combination with chemotherapy. In the chidamide group, the efficacy could be evaluated in 36 cases, with an overall response rate (ORR) of 91.7% (33/36); in the non-targeted therapy group, the efficacy could be evaluated in 88 cases, with an ORR of 71.6% (63/88); in the BV group, 20 cases were evaluable, with an ORR of 75.0% (15/20). The difference in ORR between the non-targeted therapy group and the chidamide group was statistically significant ( χ2 = 5.89, P = 0.015), and the difference in ORR between the non-targeted therapy group and the BV group was not statistically significant ( χ2 = 0.09, P = 0.759). The 1-year progression-free survival (PFS) rates were 79.9%, 88.2% and 64.2%, and the 1-year overall survival (OS) rates were 85.7%, 89.7% and 70.1% in the chidamide, BV and non-targeted therapy groups, respectively; the PFS and OS in the chidamide and BV groups were better than those in the non-targeted therapy group (all P < 0.05), and the adverse effects were mostly tolerable. Among patients treated with chemotherapy combined with BV, the ORR of patients with CD30 expression rate <60% and ≥60% were 54.5% (6/11) and 100.0% (9/9), and the difference was statistically significant ( P = 0.038). In the 10 hematopoietic stem cell transplanted patients and 50 non-transplanted patients, 1-year PFS rates were 87.5% and 59.5%, 1-year OS rates were 90.0% and 67.1%, and the differences were not statistically significant (both P > 0.05). Conclusions:Chemotherapy-based combination therapy is the main treatment methods for PTCL, and chemotherapy combined with chidamide or BV targeted therapy and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation can improve the long-term survival of PTCL patients.

Htlv-1 na leucemia/linfoma de células-t e abordagem social sobre a infecção / Htlv-1 in t-cell leukemia/lymphoma and social approach to the infection / Htlv-1 en la leucemia/linfoma de células t y el enfoque social de la infección

A Leucemia/Linfoma de Células-T do Adulto (LLCT) é um tipo agressivo de doença linfoproliferativa causada pelo Vírus Linfotrópico de Células-T Humano (HTLV-1), classificada em cinco tipos: indolente, tumoral primária de pele, crônico, linfomatoso e agudo. O HTLV pertence à família Retroviridae, gênero Deltaretrovirus, subfamília Oncovirinae, de três genes estruturais (Gag, Pol e Env) e sua transmissão ocorre por contato sexual, transfusão de sangue ou inoculação por materiais perfuro- cortantes contaminados e aleitamento materno. Esta revisão narrativa tem como objetivo apresentar uma síntese sobre a relação do HTLV-1 na LLCT, seu processo patogênico e uma abordagem social. O vírus infecta, principalmente, células T CD4+, desregulando o sistema imunológico do hospedeiro, podendo ocasionar neoplasia de células-T a partir de uma única célula que teve expansão clonal, constituindo uma população monoclonal em que todas as células contêm o DNA proviral do HTLV-1. O prognóstico é ruim, a maioria dos pacientes que desenvolvem LLCT apresenta doença de progressão rápida e o óbito em curto período, mesmo com quimioterapia agressiva. Não há política nacional específica para o HTLV, não faz parte da lista de doenças de notificação compulsória e pouco se debate publicamente, gerando desconhecimento por parte da população e por parte de profissionais de saúde, sendo uma infecção negligenciada. Conclui-se que a infecção pelo HTLV é um tema que precisa ser popularizado, havendo urgência na implantação de políticas públicas específicas e de pesquisas contínuas, devido à grande incidência no Brasil e associação a doenças graves como a LLCT.

Adult T-Cell Leukemia/Lymphoma (TCLL) is an aggressive type of lymphoproliferative disease caused by the Human T-Cell Lymphotropic Virus (HTLV- 1), classified into five types: indolent, primary skin tumor, chronic, lymphomatous and sharp. HTLV belongs to the Retroviridae family, Deltaretrovirus genus, Oncovirinae subfamily, with three structural genes (Gag, Pol and Env) and its transmission occurs through sexual contact, blood transfusion or inoculation with contaminated sharps and material and breastfeeding. This narrative review aims to present a synthesis about the relationship of HTLV-1 in CLL, its pathogenic process and a social approach. The virus mainly infects CD4+ T cells, disrupting the host's immune system, and may cause T-cell neoplasia from a single cell that underwent clonal expansion, constituting a monoclonal population in which all cells contain the HTLV proviral DNA -1. Prognosis is poor, most patients who develop TCLL have rapidly progressive disease and death within a short period, even with aggressive chemotherapy. There is no specific national policy for HTLV, it is not part of the list of notifiable diseases and little is discussed publicly, generating ignorance on the part of the population and on the part of health professionals, being a neglected infection. It is concluded that HTLV infection is a topic that needs to be popularized, with urgency in the implementation of specific public policies and continuous research, due to the high incidence in Brazil and association with serious diseases such as TCLL.

La leucemia/linfoma de células T del adulto (LLCT) es un tipo agresivo de enfermedad linfoproliferativa causada por el virus linfotrópico de células T humanas (HTLV-1), clasificada en cinco tipos: indolente, tumor primario de piel, crónica, linfomatosa y aguda. El HTLV pertenece a la familia Retroviridae, género Deltaretrovirus, subfamilia Oncovirinae, con tres genes estructurales (Gag, Pol y Env) y su transmisión se da por contacto sexual, transfusión de sangre o inoculación con material cortopunzante contaminado y lactancia materna. Esta revisión narrativa tiene como objetivo presentar una síntesis sobre la relación del HTLV-1 en la LLC, su proceso patogénico y un abordaje social. El virus infecta principalmente a los linfocitos T CD4+, alterando el sistema inmunitario del huésped y puede causar neoplasia de linfocitos T a partir de una sola célula que experimentó expansión clonal, constituyendo una población monoclonal en la que todas las células contienen el ADN proviral -1 del HTLV. El pronóstico es malo, la mayoría de los pacientes que desarrollan LLCT tienen una enfermedad rápidamente progresiva y mueren en un período corto, incluso con quimioterapia agresiva. No existe una política nacional específica para el HTLV, no forma parte de la lista de enfermedades de notificación obligatoria y poco se discute públicamente, generando desconocimiento por parte de la población y por parte de los profesionales de la salud, siendo una infección desatendida. Se concluye que la infección por HTLV es un tema que necesita ser popularizado, con urgencia en la implementación de políticas públicas específicas y de investigación continua, debido a la alta incidencia en Brasil y la asociación con enfermedades graves como la LLCT.

Clinical analysis of seven cases of hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis secondary to cutaneous T-cell lymphoma / 中华皮肤科杂志

Objective:To investigate clinical and laboratory characteristics of secondary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (sHLH) associated with secondary cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) .Methods:CTCL patients with clinically suspected sHLH were collected from Department of Hematology, Wuhan No.1 Hospital from January 2016 to October 2021, and were evaluated according to the HLH-2004 diagnostic criteria and HScore.Results:Seven CTCL patients were confirmedly diagnosed with sHLH, including 2 with primary cutaneous γδT-cell lymphoma (PC-GDTCL) , 3 with cutaneous extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma (C-ENKTCL) , and 2 with primary cutaneous anaplastic large cell lymphoma (PC-ALCL) . All the 7 patients received chemotherapy, but 6 died finally, and the median overall survival duration was 26.5 days (range: 14 - 60 days) after the confirmed diagnosis of CTCL complicated by sHLH. HLH-related gene mutations, which were located in the PRF1 and LYST genes, were identified in 2 patients; lymphoma-related gene mutations were identified in the KRAS and KMT2D genes in 1 PC-GDTCL patient,and in the JAK3 and SAMHD1 genes in another PC-GDTCL patient.Conclusions:CTCL complicated by sHLH usually progresses rapidly, so early diagnosis and treatment are needed. Bone marrow biopsy and mutation screening of lymphoma- and HLH-related genes at initial diagnosis and during disease progression may facilitate early diagnosis.

Linfoma angioinmunoblástico de células T como imitador de lupus eritematoso sistémico

El linfoma angioinmunoblástico de células T (LAIT) es un linfoma no Hodgkin poco frecuente, puede imitar a enfermedades autoinmunes y es de pobre pronóstico. Se presenta el caso de una mujer de 36 años con 3 años de enfermedad caracterizada por fiebre, artralgias y baja de peso. La paciente fue diagnosticada inicialmente como lupus eritematoso sistémico, pero al no encontrar mejoría con el tratamiento su diagnóstico fue replanteado. En una nueva hospitalización se le identificaron múltiples adenomegalias. Se realizó la biopsia de una de las adenomegalias, la patología fue compatible con LAIT. Se indicó 3 sesiones de quimioterapia, sin embargo, desarrolló falla multiorgánica con desenlace fatal. El LAIT es un reto diagnóstico debido a que puede imitar varias patologías autoinmunes. Es muy importante su sospecha y descarte para iniciar un tratamiento precoz que mejore la sobrevida de los pacientes.

Angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (LAIT) is a rare non-Hodgkin lymphoma, can mimic autoimmune diseases, and has a poor prognosis. We present the case of a 36-year-old woman with a 3-year illness characterized by fever, arthralgia and weight loss. She was initially diagnosed as systemic lupus erythematosus, but finding no improvement with treatment, her diagnosis was reconsidered. In a new hospitalization, multiple lymph nodes were identified. They performed a biopsy of one of the adenopathies, the pathology was compatible with LAIT. Three chemotherapy sessions were indicated, however, she developed multiple organ failure with a fatal outcome. LAIT is a diagnostic challenge because it can mimic several autoimmune pathologies. Its suspicion and ruling out is very important to initiate early treatment that improves patient survival.

Research progress on total skin irradiation using helical tomotherapy / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Cutaneous T-cell lymphomas are a relatively rare group of mature T-cell lymphomas mainly manifesting in the skin, and its common subtype is mycosis fungoides. Total skin electron irradiation is one of the important conventional treatment methods, but there are many disadvantages, such as uneven dose distribution, poor position repetition, and long treatment time, which affect the clinical efficacy and patient prognosis. With the emergence and gradual popularization of helical tomotherapy in recent years, more and more medical institutions are gradually expanding their applications in total skin irradiation due to their ability to treat ultra-long targets and achieve dose-sculpted distribution, aiming to further explore its good or bad, and confirm whether it can replace the traditional total skin electron irradiation. In this article, research progress on total skin irradiation using helical tomotherapy was reviewed, the development of treatment technology, clinical efficacy and current concerns and controversies were illustrated.

Treatment progress of relapsed/refractory peripheral T-cell lymphoma / 白血病·淋巴瘤

Peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL) is a group of heterogeneous diseases originating from retrothymic T lymphocytes or mature natural killer (NK) cells. With the innovation of medical technology, the prognosis of patients with PTCL has been greatly improved. However, there are still some patients who are refractory or relapsed after treatment and have poor prognosis. In recent years, the applications of second-line chemotherapy regimen, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and several new drugs (histone deacetylase inhibitors, dihydrofolate reductase inhibitors, aurora A kinase inhibitors, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitors, targeted therapy, etc.) have played an important role in the treatment of relapsed/refractory PTCL patients. Meanwhile, the choice of transplantation programs and the combination of new drug-based schemes have also become research hotspots.

Primary peripheral T-cell lymphoma of the cervix with mononeuritis multiplex: an unusual case presentation

Peripheral neuropathy (PN) is characterized by the injury to the peripheral nervous system of varied etiology. Lymphoma is one of the etiologies of PN, presenting various neurological manifestations. Neuropathy associated with peripheral T-cell lymphoma, not otherwise specified (PTCL, NOS) is unusual and fewer cases are documented in the literature. In addition, PTCL, NOS is extremely rare as primary in the female genital tract, especially uterine cervix, and exhibits aggressive clinical course with poor therapy response. We hereby describe a 47-year-old female who presented with fever and chills for 15 days. Clinical examination revealed left-sided lower motor neuron type of facial nerve palsy with Bell's phenomenon. Nerve conduction study of all four limbs illustrated asymmetrical axonal neuropathy (motor > sensory), suggesting mononeuritis multiplex. She developed vaginal bleeding during her hospital stay. Pelvic examination and imaging revealed a 4x3cm polypoidal mass on the posterior lip of the cervix, which was excised and diagnosed as extranodal primary PTCL, NOS based on morphology, immunohistochemistry, and in-situ hybridization findings. Besides, the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was infiltrated by the lymphoma cells, detected on cell block preparation. The patient succumbed to her illness within one week despite best efforts and the commencement of chemotherapy. No consent was obtainable for nerve biopsy and autopsy. Thus, we report an extremely rare case of primary extranodal PTCL, NOS of the uterine cervix with unusual presentation of mononeuritis multiplex. Further, we discussed the differentials of PTCL, NOS at this extranodal site.

Significance of lysophosphatidic acid receptor 6 in the large-cell transformation of mycosis fungoides and its effect on the proliferation and apoptosis of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma cells / 中华皮肤科杂志

Objective:To determine lysophosphatidic acid receptor 6 (LPAR6) expression in patients with mycosis fungoides (MF) , a variant of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) , and to investigate its role and mechanism of action in the development and prognosis of CTCL.Methods:A total of 110 patients with confirmed MF were collected from Department of Dermatology, Peking University First Hospital from 2011 to 2020, including 24 with large-cell transformation (LCT) and 25 with non-large cell transformation (NLCT) in the discovery cohort, and 24 with LCT and 37 with NLCT in the validation cohort. RNA sequencing and RT-PCR were conducted to determine the LPAR6 expression in patients in the discovery cohort and validation cohort respectively. LPAR6 expression was compared between patients with LCT and those with NLCT, and its effect on the prognosis of patients was evaluated. Two LPAR6-overexpressing CTCL cell lines MyLa and Sz4 were constructed to evaluate the effect of LPAR6 overexpression on proliferative activity of MyLa and Sz4 cells, with the cells normally expressing LPAR6 as the control group; after the treatment with LPAR6-related ligand lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) , 2S-OMPT, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) or adenosine (ADO) , the effects of LPAR6 activation on the proliferative activity and apoptosis of LPAR6-overexpressing MyLa and Sz4 cells were evaluated by the MTS method and flow cytometry respectively. Log-rank test was used for prognostic analysis, and t test or Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparisons between two groups. Results:As RNA sequencing showed, LPAR6 was one of the significantly underexpressed genes in the LCT group in the discovery cohort; in the validation cohort, LPAR6 expression (median[ Q1, Q3]) was significantly lower in the LCT group (204.90[81.90, 512.70]) than in the NLCT group (809.40[417.50, 1 829.20], U= 242.00, P= 0.002) ; in the two cohorts, the underexpression of LPAR6 was significantly associated with increased risk of poor prognosis (both P < 0.01) . Cell proliferation assay showed no significant difference in the proliferative activity of MyLa or Sz4 cells between the LPAR6 overexpression group and control group at 0, 24, 48 and 72 hours during the experiment (all P > 0.05) ; 48 hours after activation of LPAR6 by LPA, 2S-OMPT, ATP and ADO in MyLa cells, the LPAR6 overexpression group showed significantly decreased cellular proliferative activity (1.38 ± 0.01, 1.04 ± 0.01, 1.09 ± 0.03, 1.23 ± 0.01, respectively) compared the control group (1.73 ± 0.04, 1.23 ± 0.01, 1.24 ± 0.01, 1.42 ± 0.03, t= 30.33, 18.38, 4.78, 5.75, respectively, all P < 0.05) , but significantly increased cell apoptosis rate (17.93% ± 0.88%, 17.75% ± 0.35%, 23.97% ± 0.57%, 31.44% ± 0.34%, respectively) compared the control group (3.98% ± 0.03%, 7.81% ± 0.59%, 11.95% ± 0.85%, 12.02% ± 0.48%, t= 15.93, 14.49, 11.74, 33.01, respectively, all P < 0.05) ; 48 hours after activation of LPAR6 by 2S-OMPT and ADO in Sz4 cells, compared with the control group, the LPAR6 overexpression group also showed significantly decreased cellular proliferative activity (2S-OMPT: 1.29 ± 0.04 vs. 1.48 ± 0.01; ADO: 1.27 ± 0.01 vs. 1.51 ± 0.02; both P < 0.05) , but significantly increased cell apoptosis rate (2S-OMPT: 41.70% ± 0.70% vs. 29.35% ± 0.55%; ADO: 37.05% ± 0.15% vs. 24.60% ± 1.00%; both P < 0.05) . Conclusions:LPAR6 was underexpressed in the patients with LCT, and its underexpression was significantly associated with increased risk of poor prognosis. In vitro activation of LPAR6 could inhibit the proliferation of CTCL cells and promote their apoptosis, suggesting that the decrease of LPAR6 expression may be one of the important mechanisms underlying disease progression in patients with LCT.

Prognostic role of baseline 18F-FDG PET/CT metabolic parameters and relevant clinical factors in peripheral T-cell lymphoma, not otherwise specified / 中华核医学与分子影像杂志

Objective:To explore the prognostic role of baseline 18F-FDG PET/CT metabolic parameters for patients with peripheral T-cell lymphoma, not otherwise specified (PTCL-NOS). Methods:From February 2010 to January 2019, 47 PTCL-NOS patients (29 males, 18 females, age: (59.7±13.6) years) from Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital were retrospectively enrolled. Each patient underwent baseline 18F-FDG PET/CT imaging before treatment. The total metabolic tumor volume (TMTV) and total lesion glycolysis (TLG) were computed by using the margin threshold of 41% SUV max. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to evaluate progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Results:Over the follow-up of 5-119 months, 25 patients had disease progression, including 24 deaths. SUV max (hazard ratio ( HR)=8.581, 95% CI: 1.950-37.764, P=0.004), TMTV( HR=9.677, 95% CI: 3.521-26.593, P<0.001), TLG( HR=3.647, 95% CI: 1.245-10.682, P<0.001) and prognostic index for T-cell lymphoma (PIT; HR=4.593, 95% CI: 1.792-11.773, P=0.002) were significant predictors of PFS and OS( HR=8.720, 95% CI: 1.982-83.354, P=0.004; HR=9.325, 95% CI: 3.423-25.408, P<0.001; HR=3.439, 95% CI: 1.170-10.110, P<0.001; HR=4.437, 95% CI: 1.728-11.393, P=0.002). After multivariate analysis, TMTV was the independent predictor of PFS ( HR=4.371, 95% CI: 1.066-16.541, P<0.001) and OS ( HR=4.978, 95% CI: 1.123-21.329, P<0.001). The substratification analysis showed that patients with high TMTV(≥168.3 cm 3) had worse prognosis than those with low TMTV (<168.3 cm 3) for PFS ( χ2=14.60, P<0.001) and OS ( χ2=16.81, P<0.001) in low PIT (0-1) group, while patients with high TMTV had worse prognosis than those with low TMTV for PFS ( χ2=4.09, P=0.043) in high PIT (≥2) group. Conclusions:Baseline PET/CT metabolic parameters including SUV max, TMTV, TLG and PIT are able to predict survival in PTCL-NOS patients. TMTV is the independent predictor of PFS and OS, which can substratify PTCL-NOS patients in PIT group.

Primary central nervous system T-cell lymphoma: a case report / 中华神经科杂志

Primary central nervous system T-cell lymphomas (PCNSTL) are rare, the clinical symptoms and radiographic imaging of which are unspecific, and the pathological morphology is antypical, leading to misdiagnosis and delays in treatment. A 45-year-old male patient with diplopia accompanied by numbness and dysarthria was reported in this paper, which was considered as "lymphoma or lymphoproliferative lesions" on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) while no typical tumor cells in brain biopsy. The clinical symptoms worsened one month later and the reexamined MRI showed that the scope of the lesion was enlarged and the enhancement was more obvious than before, which was still considered as lymphoma or lymphoproliferative lesion. The second biopsy was performed and still no typical tumor lymphocytes were seen. Finally, gene rearrangement was carried out and showed the β and γ chains both present positive mutations in T cell receptor (TCR) gene rearrangement. Combined with cell morphology, immunophenotype and TCR gene rearrangement results, the patient was finally diagnosed as PCNSTL. This article reviewed the clinical symptoms, imaging features, laboratory examinations, pathological characteristics, diagnosis and differential diagnosis of PCNSTL, so as to improve the understanding of this rare disease.

The 497th case: fever, anterior hypopituitarism, lymphadenopathy / 中华内科杂志

A 57-year-old woman was admitted to hospital with fever. She still had fever treated with multiple antibiotics, and no definite evidence for infection was found. Hypothermia and hypotension developed, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination showed enlarged anterior pituitary and multiple small nodular lesions with mild enhancement on the left side. Hormone replacement and anti-infection treatment were administrated, but fever did not improve. Remarkable lymphadenopathy was found in left supraclavicular area. The pathology of lymph node biopsy indicated peripheral T-cell lymphoma (not otherwise specified, NOS). Positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) revealed hypermetabolism in multiple lymph nodes, infiltration of the liver and spleen. The final diagnosis were peripheral T-cell lymphoma with involvement of liver and spleen (stage Ⅳ) and anterior hypopituitarism. After chemotherapy, fever alleviated and the function of anterior pituitary recovered gradually.

Progress of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in treatment of peripheral T-cell lymphoma / 白血病·淋巴瘤

Peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL) is a group of highly heterogeneous rare malignant lymphoproliferative diseases, and PTCL patients have low therapeutic efficacy rate and poor prognosis after conventional comprehensive treatments. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) can improve the survival of PTCL patients, and previous studies showed that patients with a definite diagnosis should receive high-dose chemotherapy combined with autologous-HSCT (auto-HSCT) in the first remission. In recent years, a consensus on the role of auto-HSCT as the first-line consolidation therapy for PTCL patients has not been reached so far. Allogeneic-HSCT is an effective option for relapsed and refractory patients with PTCL, while auto-HSCT has unfavorable efficacies. This paper reviews the research progress of HSCT in treatment of PTCL.

EB virus-positive discordant lymphoma: report of 1 case and review of literature / 白血病·淋巴瘤

Objective:To investigate the clinical manifestations, laboratory tests, diagnosis and treatment of discordant lymphoma (DL).Methods:The clinical data of a patient with EB virus-positive DL admitted to Taizhou People's Hospital in November 2019 were retrospectively analyzed and the related literature was reviewed.Results:The patient underwent a cervical lymph node biopsy pathology examination at onset, and then results suggested angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AITL). The patient subsequently developed gastrointestinal bleeding and underwent resection of small bowel lesions, and postoperative pathology suggested diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). The patient was finally diagnosed as DL. The R2-CHOP chemotherapy regimen was given to the patient, but the patient still had recurrent gastrointestinal bleeding and poor general condition. The patient refused chemotherapy and was changed to lenalidomide monotherapy. Finally, the patient died due to multiorgan failure, with an overall survival of 13 months.Conclusions:DL is rarely seen in lymphoma, whereas the combination of AITL and DLBCL is extremely rare. The clinicians need to improve the understanding of this disease to avoid misdiagnosis and missed diagnosis.

Mycosis fungoides and Sézary syndrome: focus on the current treatment scenario

Abstract Cutaneous T-cell lymphomas are a heterogeneous group of lymphoproliferative disorders, characterized by infiltration of the skin by mature malignant T cells. Mycosis fungoides is the most common form of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, accounting for more than 60% of cases. Mycosis fungoides in the early-stage is generally an indolent disease, progressing slowly from some patches or plaques to more widespread skin involvement. However, 20% to 25% of patients progress to advanced stages, with the development of skin tumors, extracutaneous spread and poor prognosis. Treatment modalities can be divided into two groups: skin-directed therapies and systemic therapies. Therapies targeting the skin include topical agents, phototherapy and radiotherapy. Systemic therapies include biological response modifiers, immunotherapies and chemotherapeutic agents. For early-stage mycosis fungoides, skin-directed therapies are preferred, to control the disease, improve symptoms and quality of life. When refractory or in advanced-stage disease, systemic treatment is necessary. In this article, the authors present a compilation of current treatment options for mycosis fungoides and Sézary syndrome.

Diagnostic value of detecting TCR variable region subfamily for patients with mature T cell lymphoma / 中华检验医学杂志

Objective:To investigate the expression pattern of TCR variable region subfamily (Vβ and Vδ) in patients with mature T-cell lymphoma (TCL), and to compare the diagnostic value of TCRVβ and TCRVδ analysis in TCL.Methods:The TCRVβ flow cytometry kit was used to detect the expression of Vβ subtypes of αβT cell in 199 patients with αβ TCL and 398 patients with non-TCL, who hospitalized in Jiangsu Provincial People Hospital from 2011 to 2020. Among them, 185 cases of αβ TCL and 355 cases of non-TCL also underwent TCRβ and TCRγ gene rearrangement detection. The TCRVδ based 10-color protocol was used to detect the expression of Vδ subtypes in 24 cases of γδTCL, 10 cases of normal controls, and 15 cases with reactively higher CD4 and CD8 double-negative ratio from 2017 to 2020, and 24 cases of γδTCL and 15 cases with reactively higher CD4 and CD8 double-negative ratio underwent TCRβ, TCRγ and TCRδ gene rearrangement detection. The diagnostic performance and degree of coincidence for detecting malignant clonality were compared between TCRVβ and TCRVδ analysis and the TCR gene scanning method.Results:In the 199 cases of αβ TCL, 182 cases (91.5%) showed restricted expression or the sum of the positive percentages of the subgroups was less than 30% for the 24 TCRVβ subtypes. Among them, the subfamily members with the highest incidence of clonal T lymphocytes were TCRVβ13.2 (12.6%, 23/182) and TCRVβ3 (8.2%,15/182); the TCRVβ subtypes showed nonclonal results in 99.0% (394/398) of non-TCL. All 24 cases of γδTCL (100%) showed abnormal distribution patterns of Vδ1 and Vδ2, of which 19 cases showed restricted expression of Vδ1, and the remaining 5 cases had negative expression of either Vδ1 or Vδ2, and the positive rate of Vδ1 cells was significantly higher than that of Vδ2 cells (79.9%±10.8% vs 0.7%±0.3%, P<0.001). Among the normal control and cases with reactively higher CD4 and CD8 double-negative ratio, the positive rate of Vδ2 cells was significantly higher than that of Vδ1 cells (73.7%±6.7% vs 15.6%±4.2%, P<0.001), and all cases (25/25) showed a normal distribution pattern. In terms of the diagnostic performance of TCL, there was no significant difference of sensitivity and specificity between TCR variable region subfamily detection by flow cytometry and TCR gene scanning technology (the sensitivity was 92.4% and 91.4% respectively; the specificity was 99.0% and 95.9% respectively, P=0.065), and the coincidence rate of the two diagnostic methods is high (Kappa=0.809, P<0.001). Conclusion:Detection of TCR variable region subfamily by flow cytometry could quickly and effectively diagnose mature TCL.

Role of flow cytometric analysis of peripheral blood in the diagnosis of lymphoma-associated erythroderma / 中华皮肤科杂志

Objective:To investigate the value of flow cytometric analysis of peripheral blood in the diagnosis of erythroderma.Methods:A total of 29 patients with erythroderma were collected from Hospital of Dermatology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences from September 2017 to December 2020, including 6 with erythrodermic mycosis fungoides (EMF) , 5 with Sézary syndrome (SS) , 18 with inflammatory erythroderma (IE) with different etiologies. Four healthy volunteers served as healthy controls. Flow cytometry was performed to detect peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets, immunophenotypes and clonality, and their differences were analyzed between inflammatory erythroderma and lymphoma-related erythroderma. One-way analysis of variance and least significant difference- t test were used for comparisons between groups. Results:The proportions of T cells, B cells, NK cells and CD4 -CD8 - cells significantly differed among the EMF group, SS group, IE group and control group (all P < 0.001) . The proportion of T cells was significantly higher in the SS group (93.8% ± 3.4%) than in the EMF group (42.7% ± 6.4%) and IE group (46.0% ± 6.8%, t = 12.8, 14.4, respectively, both P < 0.001) , and the proportion of CD4 -CD8 - cells was significantly lower in the IE group (0.37% ± 0.40%) than in the EMF group (2.93% ± 0.84%) and SS group (2.38% ± 0.74%, t = 9.2, 6.7, respectively, both P < 0.05) . The expression of clonal T-cell receptor β-chain variable region (TCR-vβ) was not detected in healthy controls or IE patients; the T cell subsets expressing clonal TCR-vβ were detected in 3 cases of EMF and all cases of SS, and they were all identified to be cells with a CD4 +CD7 -CD26 - phenotype. There were significant differences among the above 4 groups of subjects in the proportions of CD4 + T lymphocytes expressing chemokine receptors CCR4, CXCR3, CCR5, cutaneous lymphocyte antigen (CLA) or programmed death receptor-1 (PD-1) on the cell surface (all P < 0.001) . Compared with the SS group and EMF group, the IE group showed significant decreased proportions of CD4 + T lymphocytes expressing CCR4, CLA or PD-1 (all P < 0.001) , but significantly increased proportions of CD4 + T lymphocytes expressing CXCR3 or CCR5 (all P < 0.001) . Conclusion:Flow cytometric analysis of peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets, immunophenotypes and clonality can provide a reference for the etiological diagnosis of erythroderma, and is helpful for the differential diagnosis between lymphoma-associated erythroderma and inflammatory erythroderma.

Effect of a retinoid derivative ECPIRM on proliferation and apoptosis of a cutaneous T-cell lymphoma cell line HH and its mechanisms: a preliminary investigation / 中华皮肤科杂志

Objective:To evaluate the inhibitory effect of a retinoid derivative ECPIRM on proliferation of a cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) cell line HH, and to explore its potential mechanisms.Methods:Cultured HH cells were treated with ECPIRM at different concentrations of 0 (control group) , 5, 10 and 20 μmol/L separately for 72 hours, cell counting kit-8 (CCK8) assay was performed to evaluate the effect of ECPIRM on the proliferative activity of HH cells, and flow cytometry to investigate the effect of ECPIRM on apoptosis of HH cells. Some HH cells were treated with 10 μmol/L ECPIRM for 72 hours, transcriptome sequencing was performed to investigate gene expression changes triggered by ECPIRM in HH cells, and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis and gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis were then performed to analyze differentially expressed genes in HH cells induced by ECPIRM. Reverse transcription-qPCR was subsequently conducted to verify changes in key gene expression in related pathways. Intergroup differences were analyzed by using one-way analysis of variance, and least significant difference (LSD) - t test was used for multiple comparisons. Results:CCK8 assay showed that the 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) of ECPIRM on HH cells was 4.91 ± 2.48 μmol/L, the viability of HH cells significantly differed among the control group, and 5-, 10-and 20-μmol/L ECPIRM groups (100.00% ± 2.87%, 49.58% ± 4.53%, 48.36% ± 2.88%, 31.44% ± 2.46%, respectively, F=162.86, P < 0.001) , and was significantly lower in the 5-, 10-and 20-μmol/L ECPIRM groups than in the control group ( t=15.36, 15.73, 20.89, respectively, all P < 0.001) . Flow cytometry showed that there was a significant difference in the apoptosis rate among the 4 groups (11.51% ± 1.84%, 23.83% ± 5.72%, 36.19% ± 8.33%, 49.75% ± 4.10%, respectively, F=17.62, P < 0.001) , and the 10-and 20-μmol/L groups showed significantly increased apoptosis rates compared with the control group ( t=4.46, 6.92 respectively, both P < 0.01) . Transcriptomics analysis revealed that the inhibitory effect of ECPIRM on the cellular proliferative activity may be related to the metabolic regulation of steroids. As reverse transcription-qPCR revealed, the 10-μmol/L ECPIRM group showed significantly decreased mRNA expression of L-amino acid oxidase (IL4I1) , acetyl-coenzyme A acetyltransferase 2 (ACAT2) , 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A synthase 1 (HMGCS1) , mevalonate diphosphate decarboxylase (MVD) , 3-β-hydroxysteroid-8,7-isomerase (EBP) , very low-density lipoprotein receptor (VLDLR) , 3-hydroxy 3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase (HMGCR) compared with the control group (all P < 0.05) . Conclusion:The retinoid derivative ECPIRM exerted marked anti-proliferative and apoptosis-inducing effects on HH cells, which may be related to the decreased expression of key genes involved in steroid metabolism.

Clinical features and therapeutic efficacy analysis of Epstein-Barr virus-positive T-cell lymphoma patients with hemophagocytic syndrome / 白血病·淋巴瘤

Objective:To investigate the effects of hemophagocytic syndrome also known as hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) on the clinical features and therapeutic efficacy of patients with Epstein-Barr virus-positive T-cell lymphoma (EBV-TCL).Methods:The clinical data of patients with EBV-TCL diagnosed by pathological examination in the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University from November 2015 to August 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. According to whether they were accompanied with HLH at the time of onset, patients were divided into HLH group (10 cases) and non-HLH group (13 cases), and the clinical features and prognosis of the two groups were compared. The curative effects of different treatment methods and patients with different plasma EBV-DNA titers were compared.Results:Among 23 patients, 3 cases (13.0%) were in Ann Arbor stage Ⅰ-Ⅱ, 20 cases (87.0%) were in stage Ⅲ-Ⅳ; the International Prognostic Index (IPI) score was 1 point in 3 cases (13.0%), 2 points in 4 cases (17.4%), 3 points in 8 cases (34.8%), 4 points in 8 cases (34.8%). In the HLH group, there were 2 cases of aggressive NK-cell leukemia and 3 cases of childhood systemic EBV-TCL. There were no cases of above two pathological types in the non-HLH group. In the HLH group, the proportions of patients with fever, bone marrow invasion, IPI score > 2 points, and EBV-DNA > 10 4 copies/ml were higher than those in the non-HLH group (all P < 0.05). The objective response rate (complete remission plus partial remission) of all patients after chemotherapy was 47.8% (11/23); there were 3 cases undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in both the HLH group and the non-HLH group, and all achieved objective remission. The objective remission of 7 patients and 10 patients who did not undergo hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in the HLH group and non-HLH group after lymphoma chemotherapy had 0 case and 5 cases, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant ( P = 0.044). In the chemotherapy alone group, 5 of 17 patients had objective remission, 6 patients in the chemotherapy plus transplantation group had objective remission, and the difference was statistically significant ( P = 0.039). Among 16 patients whose plasma EBV-DNA titers turned negative, 11 patients had objective remission, and 7 patients whose plasma EBV-DNA titers were continuously positive had no objective remission, and the difference was statistically significant ( P = 0.001). The 1-year overall survival rate of all patients was 69.3%, and the 2-year overall survival rate was 52.0%. In the HLH group, the 1-year and 2-year overall survival rates of 7 patients receiving chemotherapy alone and 3 patients receiving chemotherapy plus transplantation were 42.9% and 66.7%, respectively. In the non-HLH group, the 1-year overall survival rates of 10 patients receiving chemotherapy alone and 3 patients receiving chemotherapy plus transplantation were 80.0% and 100.0%, respectively; the 2-year overall survival rates were 26.7% and 100.0%,respectively. The overall survival of patients receiving chemotherapy plus transplantation was better than that of those receiving chemotherapy alone in both the HLH group and the non-HLH group, and differences were statistically significant (all P < 0.05). Conclusions:The general clinical stage of patients with EBV-TCL is later, and the prognosis of EBV-TCL patients with HLH is worse. The therapeutic efficacy may be related to plasma EBV-DNA titers. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation can improve the remission rate.