Comprehensive genomic analysis reveals molecular heterogeneity in pediatric ALK-positive anaplastic large cell lymphoma.

Anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) is a mature T-cell lymphoma that accounts for for 10-15% of childhood lymphomas. Despite the observation that more than 90% of pediatric cases harbor the anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) rearrangement resulting in aberrant ALK kinase expression, there is significant clinical, morphologic, and biological heterogeneity. To gain insights into the genomic aberrations and molecular heterogeneity within ALK-positive ALCL(ALK+ ALCL), we analyzed 46 pediatric ALK+ ALCLs by whole-exome sequencing, RNA-sequencing, and DNA methylation profiling. Whole-exome sequencing found on average 25 SNV/Indel events per sample with recurring genetic events in regulators of DNA damage (TP53, MDM4), transcription (JUNB), and epigenetic regulators (TET1, KMT2B, KMT2A, KMT2C, KMT2E). Gene expression and methylation profiling consistently subclassified ALK+ ALCLs into two groups characterized by diferential ALK expression levels. The ALK-low group showed enrichment of pathways associated with immune response, cytokine signaling, and a hypermethylated predominant pattern compared to the ALK- high group, which had more frequent copy number changes, and was enriched with pathways associated with cell growth, proliferation, metabolic pathways, and. Taken together, these findings suggest that there is molecular heterogeneity within pediatric ALK+ALCL, predicting distinct biological mechanisms that may provide novel insights into disease pathogenesis and represent prognostic markers.

Malignant Progression of an Ancestral Bone Marrow Clone Harboring a CIC-NUTM2A Fusion in Isolated Myeloid Sarcoma.

Myeloid sarcoma is a rare condition consisting of extramedullary myeloid blasts found in association with acute myeloid leukemia or, in the absence of bone marrow involvement. We identified an infant with isolated myeloid sarcoma whose bone marrow was negative for involvement by flow cytometry. Sequencing revealed the fusion oncogene CIC-NUTM2A and identified the sarcoma to be clonally evolved from the bone marrow, which carried the fusion despite the absence of pathology. Murine modeling confirmed the ability of the fusion to transform hematopoietic cells and identified receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) signaling activation consistent with disruption of the CIC transcriptional repressor. These findings extend the definition of CIC-rearranged malignancies to include hematologic disease, provide insight into the mechanism of oncogenesis, and demonstrate the importance of molecular analysis and tracking of bone marrow involvement over the course of treatment in myeloid sarcoma, including patients that lack flow cytometric evidence of leukemia at diagnosis. IMPLICATIONS: This study illustrates molecular involvement of phenotypically normal bone marrow in myeloid sarcoma, which has significant implications in clinical care. Further, it extends the definition of CIC-rearrangements to include hematologic malignancies and shows evidence of RTK activation that may be exploited therapeutically in cancer(s) driven by these fusions.

Case Report: The First Case Report of Visceral Leishmaniasis in Cambodia.

Leishmaniasis is considered a neglected tropical disease that is commonly found in Asia, Africa, South America, and Mediterranean countries. Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is the most severe form of the disease and is almost universally fatal if left untreated. The symptoms of VL overlap with many infectious diseases, malignancies, and other blood disorders. The most common findings include fever, cytopenias, and splenomegaly. Given the nonspecific symptoms, the diagnosis requires detailed laboratory investigations, including bone marrow examination, that can be challenging in low- and middle-income countries. Diagnostic limitations likely lead to the underdiagnosis or delay in diagnosis of VL. We describe, to our knowledge, the first case report of VL in Cambodia in a child presenting with fever, anemia, and thrombocytopenia. The diagnosis required a liver biopsy and multiple bone marrow biopsies to visualize intracellular Leishmania spp. Our case illustrates the diagnostic challenges and the importance of timely diagnosis. This case also highlights the need for heightened awareness of the diagnostic findings of VL and improved reporting of tropical diseases.

The 5th edition of the World Health Organization Classification of Haematolymphoid Tumours: Lymphoid Neoplasms.

We herein present an overview of the upcoming 5th edition of the World Health Organization Classification of Haematolymphoid Tumours focussing on lymphoid neoplasms. Myeloid and histiocytic neoplasms will be presented in a separate accompanying article. Besides listing the entities of the classification, we highlight and explain changes from the revised 4th edition. These include reorganization of entities by a hierarchical system as is adopted throughout the 5th edition of the WHO classification of tumours of all organ systems, modification of nomenclature for some entities, revision of diagnostic criteria or subtypes, deletion of certain entities, and introduction of new entities, as well as inclusion of tumour-like lesions, mesenchymal lesions specific to lymph node and spleen, and germline predisposition syndromes associated with the lymphoid neoplasms.

ALK+ Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma (ALCL)-Derived Exosomes Carry ALK Signaling Proteins and Interact with Tumor Microenvironment.

The oncogenic pathways activated by the NPM-ALK chimeric kinase of ALK+ anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) are well characterized; however, the potential interactions of ALK signaling with the microenvironment are not yet known. Here we report that ALK+ ALCL-derived exosomes contain critical components of ALK signaling as well as CD30, and that exosome uptake by lymphoid cells led to increased proliferation and expression of critical antiapoptotic proteins by the recipient cells. The bone marrow fibroblasts highly uptake ALK+ ALCL-derived exosomes and acquire a cancer-associated fibroblast (CAF) phenotype. Moreover, exosome-mediated activation of stromal cells altered the cytokine profile of the microenvironment. These interactions may contribute to tumor aggressiveness and possibly resistance to treatment.

It Takes a Village: Providing International Pediatric Pathology Services in a Resource-Limited Setting

OBJECTIVES: Partnerships between low- to middle-income countries (LMICs) and high-income countries (HICs) is one strategy to mitigate observed health disparities. Cambodia's Angkor Hospital for Children (AHC), an LMIC institution, faces shortages in health care resources, including pathology services. A partnership was created with Children's Wisconsin (CW), an HIC hospital, including provision of pathology services. We describe our established pathology workflow, examine cases seen in AHC patients, and evaluate the impact of CW's interpretations. METHODS: AHC provides clinical history and impression and ships samples to CW, which processes the samples, and pathologists provide interpretations, sending reports electronically to AHC. For analysis, final diagnoses were considered "concordant," "refined," or "discordant" based on agreement with the clinical impression. Cases were also classified as "did not change management" or "changed management" based on how CW interpretation affected clinical management. RESULTS: We included 347 specimens (177 malignant, 146 benign, 24 insufficient for diagnosis). Of these cases, 31% were discordant and 44% of cases with clinical follow-up had a change in management with CW interpretation. CONCLUSIONS: Inclusion of pathology services in LMIC-HIC partnerships is crucial for resolving health disparities between the institutions involved. The described partnership and established pathology workflow can be adapted to the needs and resources of many institutions.

A complex KMT2A::AFF3 fusion resulting from a three-way chromosomal rearrangement in pediatric B lymphoblastic leukemia.

The KMT2A::AFF3 fusion, t(2;11)(q11.2;q23.2), is a very rare fusion occurring in pediatric B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL). Our patient is a 2-year-old male who presented with three weeks of intermittent fever. Bone marrow biopsy showed 82% blasts and cytogenetic analysis demonstrated a complex 3-way chromosomal rearrangement involving KMT2A and an unknown fusion partner. Molecular testing identified the fusion partner as AFF3, a FLT3-TKD non-D835 mutation, and an NF1 mutation. This case demonstrates a highly complex three-way variant translocation resulting in the rare KMT2A::AFF3 fusion with only a few cases previously described in the literature.

MDMX/MDM4 is highly expressed and contributes to cell growth and survival in anaplastic large cell lymphoma.

We hypothesized that murine double minute X (MDMX), a negative p53-regulator, may be involved in dysfunctional p53-signaling in anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL), anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-positive and ALK-negative, characterized frequently by non-mutated TP53 (wt-p53). By western blot analysis, MDMX was highly expressed in ALK + ALCL and expressed at variable levels in ALK- ALCL cell lines. By immunohistochemistry, high MDMX levels were observed more frequently in ALK + ALCL (36/46; 78%), compared with ALK- ALCL tumors (12/29; 41%) (p < .0018, Mann-Whitney-test). FISH analysis showed MDMX-amplification in 1 of 13 (8%) ALK- ALCL tumors, and low-level MDMX copy gains in 2 of 13 (15%) ALK- ALCL and 3 of 11 (27%) ALK + ALCL tumors. MDMX-pharmacologic inhibition or siRNA-mediated MDMX-silencing were associated with activated p53 signaling, growth inhibition and apoptotic cell death in wt-p53 ALCL cells, providing evidence that targeting MDMX may provide a new therapeutic approach for ALCL patients with wt-p53.

Pathology and genetics of anaplastic large cell lymphoma.

Anaplastic large cell lymphomas are a rare subtype of peripheral/mature T-cell lymphomas which are clinically, pathologically and genetically heterogeneous. Both ALK-positive (ALK+) and ALK-negative (ALK-) ALCL are composed of large lymphoid cells with abundant cytoplasm and pleomorphic features with horseshoe-shaped and reniform nuclei. ALK+ ALCL were considered as a definite entity in the 2008 World Health Organization classification of hematopoietic and lymphoid tissues. ALK-ALCL was included as a provisional entity in the WHO 2008 edition and in the most recent 2017 edition, it is now considered a distinct entity that includes cytogenetic subsets that appear to have prognostic implications (e.g. 6p25 rearrangements at IRF4/DUSP22 locus). ALK+ ALCLs are distinct in epidemiology and pathogenetic origin and should be distinguished from ALK-ALCL, cutaneous ALCL and breast implant associated ALCL which have distinct clinical course and pathogenetic features. Breast implant-associated ALCL is now recognized as a new provisional entity distinct from other ALK-ALCL; notably that it is a noninvasive disease associated with excellent outcome. In this article, we will provide an overview of the salient themes relevant to the pathology and genetic mechanisms in ALCL.

MicroRNA-17 acts as a tumor chemosensitizer by targeting JAB1/CSN5 in triple-negative breast cancer.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the breast cancer subtype with the poorest prognosis. Evidence indicates that aberrant JAB1/CSN5 expression is associated with advanced tumor stage and poor prognosis in breast cancer. In this study, we evaluated expression of JAB1 in TNBC and potential mechanisms regulating this expression. We found that miR-17 expression was lower in TNBC than in normal breast tissue, and miR-17 expression in patients with TNBC was associated with a good prognosis. Furthermore, JAB1 expression was regulated by miR-17 in TNBC cells, and mice with miR-17-overexpressing tumors had less tumor growth and lower tumor JAB1 expression than control mice. We also demonstrated that miR-17 suppressed JAB1's oncogenic function, leading to tumor growth inhibition and sensitizing TNBC cells to chemotherapy treatment. JAB1 knockdown in TNBC cells mimicked the effect of miR-17 overexpression and led to significant decreases in cell proliferation, colony formation, and migration, increased p27 expression, and enhanced cisplatin sensitivity. Our findings suggest that miR-17 acts as a tumor suppressor by directly targeting JAB1 in TNBC; this may lead to novel therapeutic targets and strategies for treating TNBC patients.

AP-1 Transcription Factors as Regulators of Immune Responses in Cancer.

Immune check point blockade therapy has revolutionized the standard of cancer treatment and is credited with producing remarkable tumor remissions and increase in overall survival. This unprecedented clinical success however is feasible for a limited number of cancer patients due to resistance occurring before or during a course of immunotherapy, which is often associated with activation of oncogenic signaling pathways, co-inhibitory checkpoints upregulation or expansion of immunosuppressive regulatory T-cells (Tregs) in the tumor microenviroment (TME). Targeted therapy aiming to inactivate a signaling pathway such as the Mitogen Activated Protein Kinases (MAPKs) has recently received a lot of attention due to emerging data from preclinical studies indicating synergy with immune checkpoint blockade therapy. The dimeric transcription factor complex Activator Protein-1 (AP-1) is a group of proteins involved in a wide array of cell processes and a critical regulator of nuclear gene expression during T-cell activation. It is also one of the downstream targets of the MAPK signaling cascade. In this review, we will attempt to unravel the roles of AP-1 in the regulation of anti-tumor immune responses, with a focus on the regulation of immune checkpoints and Tregs, seeking to extract useful insights for more efficacious immunotherapy.

Germline deletion of ETV6 in familial acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Recent studies have identified germline mutations in TP53, PAX5, ETV6, and IKZF1 in kindreds with familial acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), but the genetic basis of ALL in many kindreds is unknown despite mutational analysis of the exome. Here, we report a germline deletion of ETV6 identified by linkage and structural variant analysis of whole-genome sequencing data segregating in a kindred with thrombocytopenia, B-progenitor acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. The 75-nt deletion removed the ETV6 exon 7 splice acceptor, resulting in exon skipping and protein truncation. The ETV6 deletion was also identified by optimal structural variant analysis of exome sequencing data. These findings identify a new mechanism of germline predisposition in ALL and implicate ETV6 germline variation in predisposition to lymphoma. Importantly, these data highlight the importance of germline structural variant analysis in the search for germline variants predisposing to familial leukemia.

Two-year-old female with EBV-positive diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and subsequent CNS involvement with neurolymphomatosis.

We describe a case of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) positive, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma in a 2-year-old female who went on to develop relapsed/refractory central nervous system (CNS) disease, manifesting as cranial nerve neurolymphomatosis. Although her atypical presentation was thought to be associated with an immune deficiency, extensive work-up was negative. Despite subsequent treatment with third-party EBV-specific cytotoxic T-lymphocytes, she died of progressive disease. This case report raises questions as to whether tailored treatment approaches should be considered for atypical presentations of pediatric lymphoma (e.g., CNS and virus-associated).