Expression and clinical value of programmed cell death-ligand 1(PD-L1)in diffuse large B cell lymphoma:a retrospective study

Background: The programmed cell death-1(PD-1)/programmed cell death-ligand 1(PD-L1) pathway inhibits the activation of T cells and plays a crucial role in the negative regulation of cellular and humoral immune responses.Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma(DLBCL) is the most common lymphoid malignancy in adults. In the present study, we aimed to detect the expression of PD-L1 in DLBCL and to analyze its relationship with prognosis.Methods: We reviewed medical records of 204 newly diagnosed DLBCL patients in Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center between October 2005 and August 2012. The expression of PD-L1 in tumor tissues from these 204 patients was detected using immunohistochemical(IHC) assay. The expression of anaplastic lymphoma kinase(ALK), CD5,CD30, and C-Myc in tumor specimens from 109 patients was detected using IHC, and Epstein-Barr virus(EBV)-encoded RNAs(EBERs) were detected using fluorescence in situ hybridization. The Spearman method was used for correlation analysis. The Kaplan-Meier method with log-rank test was used for univariate analysis. Cox proportional hazards model was used for multivariate analysis.Results: Of the 204 patients, 100(49.0%) were PD-L1-positive in tumor cells and 44(21.6%) were PD-L1-positive in tumor microenvironment. PD-L1 expression in tumor cells and tumor microenvironment were more common in the non-germinal center B-cell-like(GCB) subtype than in the GCB subtype(P = 0.02 and P= 0.04). Patients with PD-L1 expression in tumor microenvironment were more likely to be resistant to first-line chemotherapy when compared with the patients without PD-L1 expression in tumor microenvironment(P = 0.03). PD-L1 expression in tumor microenvironment was negatively correlated with C-Myc expression(r =-0.20, P = 0.04). No correlations were detected between PD-L1 expression and the expression of ALK, CD5, and CD30 as well as EBERs. The 5-year overall survival(OS)rates were 50.0% and 67.3% in patients with and without PD-L1 expression in tumor cells(P = 0.02). PD-L1 expression in tumor cells was an independent risk predictor for OS(P < 0.01).Conclusions: PD-L1 expression is more common in the non-GCB subtype than in the GCB subtype. PD-L1 expression in tumor microenvironment has a negative correlation with C-Myc. PD-L1 positivity predicts short survival in DLBCL patients. For patients with PD-L1 expression, more strategy such as anti-PD-L1 antibody treatment should be recommended.

Hepatitis B virus reactivation and hepatitis in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma patients with resolved hepatitis B receiving rituximab-containing chemotherapy:risk factors and survival

Introduction:Hepatitis B virus(HBV) reactivation has been reported in B-cell lymphoma patients with resolved hepatitis B(hepatitis B surface antigen[HBsAg]-negative and hepatitis B core antibody[HBcAb]-positive).This study aimed to assess HBV reaaivation and hepatitis occurrence in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma(DLBCL) patients with resolved hepatitis B receiving rituximab-containing chemotherapy compared with HBsAg-negative/HBcAb-negative patients to identify risk factors for HBV reaaivation and hepatitis occurrence and to analyze whether HBV reaaivation and hepatitis affect the survival of DLBCL patients with resolved hepatitis B.Methods:We reviewed the clinical data of 278 patients with DLBCL treated with rituximab-containing therapy between January 2004 and May 2008 at Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center,China.Prediaive faaors for HBV reaaivation,hepatitis development,and survival were examined by univariate analysis using the chi-square or Fisher's exact test and by multivariate analysis using the Cox regression model.Results:Among the 278 patients,165 were HBsAg-negative.Among these 165 patients,6(10.9%) of 55 HBcAb-positive(resolved HBV infeaion) patients experienced HBV reactivation compared with none(0%) of 110 HBcAb-negative patients(P=0.001).Patients with resolved hepatitis B had a higher hepatitis occurrence rate than HBsAg-negative/HBcAb-negative patients(21.8%vs.8.2%,P = 0.013).HBcAb positivity and elevated baseline alanine aminotransferase(ALT) levels were independent risk factors for hepatitis.Among the 55 patients with resolved hepatitis B,patients with elevated baseline serum ALT or aspartate aminotransferase(AST) levels were more likely to develop hepatitis than those with normal serum ALT or AST levels(P = 0.037,P = 0.005,respeaively).An elevated baseline AST level was an independent risk factor for hepatitis in these patients.Six patients with HBV reactivation recovered after immediate antiviral therapy,and chemotherapy was continued.HBcAb positivity,HBV reactivation,or hepatitis did not negatively affect the survival of DLBCL patients.Conclusions:DLBCL patients with resolved hepatitis B may have a higher risk of developing HBV reaaivation and hepatitis than HBsAg-negative/HBcAb-negative patients.Close monitoring and prompt antiviral therapy are required in these patients.

New risk factors and new tendency for central nervous system relapse in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma:a retrospective study

Background: In patients with difuse large B?cell lymphoma(DLBCL), central nervous system(CNS) relapse is uncom?mon but is nearly always fatal. This study aimed to determine the risk factors for CNS relapse in DLBCL patients and to evaluate the eicacy of rituximab and intrathecal chemotherapy prophylaxis for CNS relapse reduction.Methods: A total of 511 patients with newly diagnosed DLBCL treated at the Sun Yat?sen University Cancer Center between January 2003 and December 2012 were included in the study. Among these patients, 376 received R?CHOP regimen(rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone) as primary treatment, and 135 received CHOP regimen(cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone) as primary treatment. Intrathe?cal chemotherapy prophylaxis(methotrexate plus cytarabine) was administered to those who were deemed at high risk for CNS relapse. In the entire cohort and in the R?CHOP set in particular, the Kaplan–Meier method coupled with the log?rank test was used for univariate analysis, and the Cox proportional hazards model was used for multivariate analysis. Diferences were evaluated using a two?tailed test, and P < 0.05 was considered signiicant.Results: At a median follow?up of 46 months, 25(4.9%) patients experienced CNS relapse. There was a trend of reduced occurrence of CNS relapse in patients treated with rituximab; the 3?year cumulative CNS relapse rates were 7.1% in CHOP group and 2.7% in R?CHOP group(P = 0.045). Intrathecal chemotherapy prophylaxis did not confer much beneit in terms of preventing CNS relapse. Bone involvement [hazard ratio(HR) = 4.21, 95% conidence interval(CI) 1.38–12.77], renal involvement(HR = 3.85, 95% CI 1.05–14.19), alkaline phosphatase(ALP) >110 U/L(HR = 3.59, 95% CI 1.25–10.34), serum albumin(ALB) <35 g/L(HR = 3.63, 95% CI 1.25–10.51), treatment with rituxi?mab(HR = 0.34, 95% CI 0.12–0.96), and a time to complete remission ≤ 108 days(HR = 0.22, 95% CI 0.06–0.78) were independent predictive factors for CNS relapse in the entire cohort. Bone involvement(HR = 4.44, 95% CI 1.08–18.35), bone marrow involvement(HR = 11.70, 95% CI 2.24–60.99), and renal involvement(HR = 10.83, 95% CI 2.27–51.65) were independent risk factors for CNS relapse in the R?CHOP set.Conclusions: In the present study, rituximab decreased the CNS relapse rate of DLBCL, whereas intrathecal chemo?therapy prophylaxis alone was not suicient for preventing CNS relapse. Serum levels of ALB and ALP, and the time to complete remission were new independent predictive factors for CNS relapse in the patients with DLBCL. In the patients received R?CHOP regimen, a trend of increased CNS relapse was found to be associated with extranodal lesions.

阴茎癌改良临床病理肿瘤分期预后意义分析

背景与目的第8版美国癌症联合会-TNM(American Joint Committee on Cancer tumor–node–metastasis,AJCC-TNM)分期基于的是一些回顾性单中心研究。本研究旨在分析分期的预后价值,并探讨加入脉管癌栓的改良的临床病理肿瘤分期能否提高对T2–3期阴茎癌患者预后预测的准确性。方法根据第8版AJCC-TNM分期对2000年至2015年在中国和巴西2个中心接受治疗的411例患者所组成的训练队列进行分期。采用C-indexes一致性系数进行预测模型的评估,Bbootstrap再抽样法(1000次)进行模型验证。采用来自4个大洲15个中心接受治疗的436例患者的数据进行外部验证。结果根据第8版AJCC-TNM分期的T2和T3期患者有存活率重叠(P=0.587)。脉管癌栓是转移和生存的重要预后因素(均P <0.001)。多因素分析显示,仅脉管癌栓对癌症特异性生存(cancer-specific survival,CSS)有显著影响(风险比=1.587,95%置信区间=1.253–2.011;P=0.001)。发生脉管癌栓的T2和T3期患者的CSS显著短于无脉管癌栓的患者(P <0.001)。因此,我们提出一种改良的临床病理分期,将第8版AJCC-TNM分期的T2和T3期细分为如下2个新类别:T2期肿瘤侵犯尿道海绵体和/或阴茎海绵体和/或尿道且无淋巴管侵犯;T3期肿瘤侵犯尿道海绵体和/或阴茎海绵体和/或尿道并有淋巴管侵犯。加入脉管癌栓的改良的分期显示出预后分层改善,各组间CSS差异显著(均P <0.005),患者预后预测的准确性高于第8版AJCC-TNM分期(C-index,0.739 vs. 0.696)。以上结果在外部验证队列中得到了确认。结论 T2–3期阴茎癌是异质性的,加入脉管癌栓的改良临床病理分期比第8版AJCC-TNM分期对阴茎癌患者的预后预测能力更强。

细胞程序性死亡配体-1(PD-L1)在弥漫大B细胞淋巴瘤中的表达及临床价值的回顾性研究

背景与目的细胞程序性死亡受体-1(programmed cell death-1,PD-1)/细胞程序性死亡配体-1(programmed cell death-ligand 1,PD-L1)通路会抑制T细胞的活化,在细胞和体液免疫应答的负调控中起关键作用。弥漫大B细胞淋巴瘤(diffuse large B-cell lymphoma,DLBCL)是成年人中最为常见的淋巴样恶性肿瘤,本研究旨在检测DLBCL中PD-L1的表达,并分析其与预后的关系。方法回顾分析2005年10月至2012年8月204例在中山大学肿瘤防治中心新诊断为DLBCL的患者病历资料,采用免疫组织化学(immunohistochemical,IHC)法检测204例患者肿瘤组织中PD-L1的表达。应用IHC检测109例患者肿瘤组织中的间变性淋巴瘤激酶(anaplastic lymphoma kinase,ALK)、CD5、CD30和C-Myc的表达,应用荧光原位杂交技术检测EB病毒(Epstein-Barr virus,EBV)编码RNAs(EBV-encoded RNAs,EBERs)的表达。应用Spearman方法进行相关分析,采用具有对数秩检验的Kaplan-Meier法进行单因素分析,采用Cox比例风险模型进行多因素分析。结果在选取的204例患者中,100例(49.0%)患者肿瘤细胞中PD-L1呈阳性,44例(21.6%)患者肿瘤微环境中PD-L1呈阳性。与生发中心B细胞样(germinal center B-cell-like,GCB)亚型相比,肿瘤细胞和肿瘤微环境中表达PD-L1在非生发中心B细胞样亚型中更为常见(P=0.02和P=0.04)。与肿瘤微环境中不表达PD-L1的患者相比,肿瘤微环境中PD-L1表达的患者更容易对一线化疗产生耐药性(P=0.03)。肿瘤微环境中PD-L1表达与C-Myc表达呈负相关(r=-0.20,P=0.04),而PD-L1表达与ALK、CD5、CD30和EBERs的表达无相关性。此外,肿瘤细胞中有PD-L1表达和无PD-L1表达的患者的5年总生存期(overall survival,OS)分别为50.0%和67.3%(P=0.02)。肿瘤细胞中的PD-L1表达是OS的独立风险预测因素(P<0.01)。结论PD-L1在非GCB亚型中的表达比在GCB亚型中更常见。肿瘤微环境中PD-L1的表达与C-Myc的表达呈负相关。PD-L1阳性预示DLBCL患者生存期短。因此对于PD-L1表达的患者,应推荐更多的治疗策略,如抗PD-L1抗体治疗。

BRD2 induces drug resistance through activation of the RasGRP1/Ras/ERK signaling pathway in adult T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma

Background:Adult patients with T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma(T-LBL)are treated with high-intensity chemotherapy regimens,but the response rate is still unsatisfactory because of frequent drug resistance.We aimed to investigate the potential mechanisms of drug resistance in adults with T-LBL.Methods:Gene expression microarray was used to identify differential mRNA expression profiles between chemotherapy-resistant and chemotherapy-sensitive adult T-LBL tissues.Real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry were performed to detect the expression of bromodomain-containing protein 2(BRD2)and c-Myc in fresh-frozen T-LBL tissues from 85 adult patients.The Ras pull-down assay was performed to monitor Ras activation.Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays were used to analyze the binding of E2F transcription factor 1(E2F1)/BRD2 to the RAS guanyl releasing protein 1(RasGRP1)promoter region.The drug resistance effect and mechanism of BRD2 were determined by both in vivo and in vitro studies.Results:A total of 86 chemotherapy resistance-related genes in adult T-LBL were identified by gene expression microarray.Among them,BRD2 was upregulated in chemotherapy-resistant adult T-LBL tissues and associated with worse progressionfree survival and overall survival of 85 adult T-LBL patients.Furthermore,BRD2 suppressed doxorubicin(Dox)-induced cell apoptosis both in vitro and in vivo.The activation of RasGRP1/Ras/ERK signaling might contribute to the Dox resistance effect of BRD2.Besides,OTX015,a bromodomain and extra-terminal(BET)inhibitor,reversed the Dox resistance effect of BRD2.Patient-derived tumor xenograft demonstrated that the sequential use of OTX015 after Dox showed superior therapeutic effects.Conclusions:Our data showed that BRD2 promotes drug resistance in adult T-LBL through the RasGRP1/Ras/ERK signaling pathway.Targeting BRD2 may be a novel strategy to improve the therapeutic efficacy and prolong survival of adults with TLBL.

A modified clinicopathological tumor staging system for survival prediction of patients with penile cancer

Background:The 8th American Joint Committee on Cancer tumor-node-metastasis(AJCC-TNM)staging system is based on a few retrospective single-center studies.We aimed to test the prognostic validity of the staging system and to determine whether a modified clinicopathological tumor staging system that includes lymphovascular emboliza-tion could increase the accuracy of prognostic prediction for patients with stage T2-3 penile cancer.Methods:A training cohort of 411 patients who were treated at 2 centers in China and Brazil between 2000 and 2015 were staged according to the 8th AJCC-TNM staging system.The internal validation was analyzed by bootstrap-corrected C-indexes(resampled 1000 times).Data from 436 patients who were treated at 15 centers over four conti-nents were used for external validation.Results:A survivorship overlap was observed between T2 and T3 patients(P=0.587)classified according to the 8th AJCC-TNM staging system.Lymphovascular embolization was a significant prognostic factor for metastasis and survival(all P<0.001).Based on the multivariate analysis,only lymphovascular embolization showed a significant influ-ence on cancer-specific survival(CSS)(hazard ratio=1.587,95%confidence interval=1.253-2.011;P=0.001).T2 and T3 patients with lymphovascular embolization showed significantly shorter CSS than did those without lymphovascu-lar embolization(P<0.001).Therefore,a modified clinicopathological staging system was proposed,with the T2 and T3 categories of the 8th AJCC-TNM staging system being subdivided into two new categories as follows:t2 tumors invade the corpus spongiosum and/or corpora cavernosa and/or urethra without lymphovascular invasion,and t3 tumors invade the corpus spongiosum and/or corpora cavernosa and/or urethra with lymphovascular invasion.The modified staging system involving lymphovascular embolization showed improved prognostic stratification with significant differences in CSS among all categories(all P<0.005)and exhibited higher accuracy in predicting patient prognoses than did the 8th AJCC-TNM staging system(C-index,0.739 vs.0.696).These results were confirmed in the external validation cohort.Conclusions:T2-3 penile cancers are heterogeneous,and a modified clinicopathological staging system that incorporates lymphovascular embolization may better predict the prognosis of patients with penile cancer than does the 8th AJCC-TNM staging system.