Primary Cutaneous CD30-Positive Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma in Childhood: Report of 4 Cases and Review of the Literature

2005 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 52-60 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shimareet Kumar ◽  
Stefania Pittaluga ◽  
Mark Raffeld ◽  
Michael Guerrera ◽  
Nita L. Seibel ◽  
...  

We present the clinicopathologic findings in 4 children with primary cutaneous anaplastic large cell lymphoma (C-ALCL). The patients ranged in age from 13 months to 8 years, with 3 females and 1 male. All presented with a rapidly enlarging mass involving the skin and subcutaneous tissue. Histologic evaluation showed sheets of large pleomorphic lymphoid cells that were diffusely and strongly CD30+. Tumor cells were CD45+ in 1 of 4 cases. Cells were of T-cell phenotype, with variable positivity for CD3 (3 of 4 cases) and CD5 (2 of 4 cases). All 4 cases were positive for CD4 and clusterin. Staining for anaplastic lymphoma kinase was negative in all cases. No evidence of systemic involvement was noted at initial presentation or over a follow-up of 5 to 78 months, although 3 patients had cutaneous recurrences. Primary C-ALCL has only rarely been described in the pediatric population. The high-grade histologic appearance of this lymphoma belies its generally favorable clinical course and prognosis. Recognition of this entity and its differentiation from other T-cell lymphomas that secondarily involve the skin is important to avoid unnecessarily aggressive therapy in these children.

Blood ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 93 (11) ◽  
pp. 3913-3921 ◽  
Author(s):  
Randy D. Gascoyne ◽  
Patricia Aoun ◽  
Daniel Wu ◽  
Mukesh Chhanabhai ◽  
Brian F. Skinnider ◽  
...  

Anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) is an aggressive lymphoma that is frequently associated with the t(2;5)(p23;q35), resulting in expression of a fusion protein, nucleophosmin-anaplastic lymphoma kinase (NPM-ALK), which can be detected by either monoclonal or polyclonal antibodies to the ALK protein. The clinical features of adults with ALCL are incompletely described, and the prognostic factors that are useful for predicting survival remain unclear. This report describes the clinical and laboratory findings in 70 adults with systemic ALCL who were treated with curative intent. We attempted to identify the clinical and pathological factors of prognostic importance, including the International Prognostic Index (IPI), immunophenotype, and expression of the ALK protein. The median age of the patients was 49 years (range, 15 to 75). There were 26 women and 44 men with a median follow-up of 50 months for living patients. Advanced stage was present in 56% and B symptoms were noted in 70% of the patients. Immunostains showed that 46% of the cases had a T-cell phenotype, 36% a null phenotype, and 18% a B-cell phenotype. The expression of ALK protein was found in 51% of the cases. The IPI factors were evenly distributed between the ALK+ and ALK− groups, except that the ALK+ patients were younger (median age, 30 v 61 years; P < .002). The ALK+ cohort included cases with null (44%), T-cell (42%), and B-cell (14%) phenotypes. All 10 cases with cytogenetic or molecular evidence of a t(2;5) were ALK+. The 5-year overall survival (OS) of the entire cohort was 65%. The 5-year OS of the ALK+ and ALK− cases was 79% and 46%, respectively (P < .0003). Analysis of only the T-cell/null cases (n = 57) showed a 5-year OS of 93% for the ALK+ cases and only 37% for the ALK− cases (P < .00001). Univariate analysis of the clinical features showed that age ≤60 years (P < .007), a normal serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) (P < .00001), a good performance status (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group [ECOG] <2) (P< .03), ≤1 extranodal site of disease (P < .012), and an IPI score ≤3 (P < .00001) were associated with improved OS. Although a younger age correlated with ALK positivity, multivariate analysis showed that only a normal serum LDH (P < .00001), an IPI score of ≤3 (P < .0005), and ALK protein expression (P < .005) predicted independently for an improved OS. We conclude that ALCL is a heterogeneous disorder. However, ALK protein expression is an independent predictor of survival and serves as a useful biologic marker of a specific disease entity within the spectrum of ALCL.


2001 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 129-137 ◽  
Author(s):  
C.G. Sherman ◽  
M. Zielenska ◽  
A.N. Lorenzana ◽  
K.A.F. Pulford ◽  
D.Y. Mason ◽  
...  

Anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) was proposed as a clinicopathologic entity over 14 years ago, but has been somewhat controversial due to the variability of its defining features and variable occurrence in different age-groups. To evaluate this entity in a pediatric population, 36 cases of childhood large cell lymphoma were evaluated for abnormalities of the anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene that has been associated with ALCL morphology and immunophenotype. ALK abnormalities were evaluated by assay for the t(2;5)(p23;q35) translocation by RT-PCR and/or expression of NPM-ALK fusion protein by immunohistochemistry. Results showed 17 patients to have evidence of ALK gene expression. All of these children (mean age, 9.3 years) had tumors that were of T-cell phenotype (with the exception of a single case of null phenotype) and that expressed CD30. In contrast, 19 children with no evidence of ALK expression were older (mean, 12.7 years), and the majority (12/19) had tumors of B-cell phenotype. CD30 was also diffusely expressed in 8 of these 19 tumors. The difference in mean age between the two groups was statistically significant ( P = 0.015). In three cases tested for both ALK and the t(2;5), ALK protein was detected in the absence of the t(2;5) translocation but no cases showed the reverse pattern, consistent with ALK fusion to genes other than NPM or activation of the ALK gene by another mechanism. These findings provide further support that ALK-positive ALCL is a distinct pathologic entity among pediatric large cell lymphomas primarily characterized by expression of T-cell markers, CD30, and EMA, and by a younger mean age.


Blood ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 93 (11) ◽  
pp. 3913-3921 ◽  
Author(s):  
Randy D. Gascoyne ◽  
Patricia Aoun ◽  
Daniel Wu ◽  
Mukesh Chhanabhai ◽  
Brian F. Skinnider ◽  
...  

Abstract Anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) is an aggressive lymphoma that is frequently associated with the t(2;5)(p23;q35), resulting in expression of a fusion protein, nucleophosmin-anaplastic lymphoma kinase (NPM-ALK), which can be detected by either monoclonal or polyclonal antibodies to the ALK protein. The clinical features of adults with ALCL are incompletely described, and the prognostic factors that are useful for predicting survival remain unclear. This report describes the clinical and laboratory findings in 70 adults with systemic ALCL who were treated with curative intent. We attempted to identify the clinical and pathological factors of prognostic importance, including the International Prognostic Index (IPI), immunophenotype, and expression of the ALK protein. The median age of the patients was 49 years (range, 15 to 75). There were 26 women and 44 men with a median follow-up of 50 months for living patients. Advanced stage was present in 56% and B symptoms were noted in 70% of the patients. Immunostains showed that 46% of the cases had a T-cell phenotype, 36% a null phenotype, and 18% a B-cell phenotype. The expression of ALK protein was found in 51% of the cases. The IPI factors were evenly distributed between the ALK+ and ALK− groups, except that the ALK+ patients were younger (median age, 30 v 61 years; P &lt; .002). The ALK+ cohort included cases with null (44%), T-cell (42%), and B-cell (14%) phenotypes. All 10 cases with cytogenetic or molecular evidence of a t(2;5) were ALK+. The 5-year overall survival (OS) of the entire cohort was 65%. The 5-year OS of the ALK+ and ALK− cases was 79% and 46%, respectively (P &lt; .0003). Analysis of only the T-cell/null cases (n = 57) showed a 5-year OS of 93% for the ALK+ cases and only 37% for the ALK− cases (P &lt; .00001). Univariate analysis of the clinical features showed that age ≤60 years (P &lt; .007), a normal serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) (P &lt; .00001), a good performance status (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group [ECOG] &lt;2) (P&lt; .03), ≤1 extranodal site of disease (P &lt; .012), and an IPI score ≤3 (P &lt; .00001) were associated with improved OS. Although a younger age correlated with ALK positivity, multivariate analysis showed that only a normal serum LDH (P &lt; .00001), an IPI score of ≤3 (P &lt; .0005), and ALK protein expression (P &lt; .005) predicted independently for an improved OS. We conclude that ALCL is a heterogeneous disorder. However, ALK protein expression is an independent predictor of survival and serves as a useful biologic marker of a specific disease entity within the spectrum of ALCL.


2000 ◽  
Vol 124 (9) ◽  
pp. 1339-1343
Author(s):  
Mark A. Lones ◽  
Warren Sanger ◽  
Sherrie L. Perkins ◽  
L. Jeffrey Medeiros

Abstract Anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) represents approximately 2% of all non-Hodgkin lymphomas according to the recent Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Classification Project. As defined in the revised European-American classification of lymphoid neoplasms (REAL), ALCL is a neoplasm of T-cell or null-cell lineage; 20% to 60% of cases are associated with the t(2;5)(p23;q35) translocation. ALCL commonly involves nodal as well as a wide variety of extranodal sites, although primary or secondary involvement of bone is rare. We describe the case of a 71-year-old man with stage IE T-cell ALCL, monomorphic variant, arising in the left anterior fifth rib and involving adjacent soft tissue without other sites of disease. The monomorphic histologic features hindered the initial recognition of this neoplasm as ALCL. However, strong uniform CD30 antigen expression and subsequent demonstration of the t(2;5)(p23;q35) translocation and anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) immunoreactivity led to the correct diagnosis. We identified only 5 reported cases of T-cell and null-cell ALCL arising in bone and only 2 of these cases involved a single bone site. All 5 previously reported cases were ALCL of the classic type. We report a case of ALCL that is unique to our knowledge. This case of monomorphic ALCL was localized to bone and tumor cells contained the t(2;5)(p23;q35) translocation.


2009 ◽  
Vol 27 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. e19563-e19563
Author(s):  
J. Castillo ◽  
C. Milani ◽  
L. Pantanowitz

e19563 Background: Anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) is a CD30+ T-cell lymphoma that is generally unrelated to EBV in the non-HIV setting. Based upon anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) expression, the new WHO classification provisionally distinguishes between ALK+ (favorable) and ALK- (unfavorable) ALCL. The characteristics of ALCL, such as ALK expression and EBV coinfection, in individuals with HIV infection have not been adequately evaluated. The aim of this study was to investigate these features in HIV-associated ALCL cases. Methods: A MEDLINE search for all cases of HIV-associated non-cutaneous ALCL was undertaken. Data regarding patient age, gender, HIV status (CD4 count, viral load, opportunistic infections), HAART, lymphoma features (B symptoms, stage, sites of involvement, immunophenotype, ALK expression, molecular studies), EBV coinfection, therapy and outcome (survival, cause of death) were extracted and analyzed. Results: A total of 23 cases were included. Patients were of median age 39 years with a male:female ratio of 7:1. Median CD4+ count was 76 cells/mm3 and HIV viral load 416,500 copies/ml. Most (67%) patients had an opportunistic infection, although only 3 (17%) were on HAART. ALCL was extranodal in 22 cases (96%) affecting most commonly lung, soft tissue and liver. Many (78%) patients had stage IV disease and B symptoms were reported in 9 cases (50%). T-cell receptor gene rearrangement was present in all cases, CD30 was positive in 22 (96%), and the vast majority (90%) were ALK-negative. EBV was identified in 8 (35%) cases. Therapy for ALCL was documented in 15 (67%) cases; 64% received CHOP. In 2 of the 3 patients who were on HAART, long-term survival was achieved. Many (68%) patients died, with a median survival of 9 months. Death was caused by either lymphoma progression (42%) or infection (58%). Conclusions: HIV-associated non-cutaneous ALCL appears to affect younger individuals and is associated with EBV infection in a subset of cases. Apart from marked immunosuppression, the poor prognosis of HIV-associated ALCL appears to be related to the absence of ALK expression, advanced stage at presentation with prominent extranodal disease, inadequate therapy including HAART, and poor response to CHOP. Further research is needed to better understand and treat this unique HIV-associated lymphoma. No significant financial relationships to disclose.


Pathobiology ◽  
1997 ◽  
Vol 65 (2) ◽  
pp. 83-90 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hans-Dieter Foss ◽  
Gudrun Demel ◽  
Ioannis Anagnostopoulos ◽  
Iguaracyra Araujo ◽  
Michael Hummel ◽  
...  

Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (19) ◽  
pp. 5012
Author(s):  
Kathrin Wurster ◽  
Mariantonia Costanza ◽  
Stephan Kreher ◽  
Selina Glaser ◽  
Björn Lamprecht ◽  
...  

In 50–60% of cases, systemic anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) is characterized by the t(2;5)(p23;q35) or one of its variants, considered to be causative for anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-positive (ALK+) ALCL. Key pathogenic events in ALK-negative (ALK−) ALCL are less well defined. We have previously shown that deregulation of oncogenic genes surrounding the chromosomal breakpoints on 2p and 5q is a unifying feature of both ALK+ and ALK− ALCL and predisposes for occurrence of t(2;5). Here, we report that the invariant chain of the MHC-II complex CD74 or li, which is encoded on 5q32, can act as signaling molecule, and whose expression in lymphoid cells is usually restricted to B cells, is aberrantly expressed in T cell-derived ALCL. Accordingly, ALCL shows an altered DNA methylation pattern of the CD74 locus compared to benign T cells. Functionally, CD74 ligation induces cell death of ALCL cells. Furthermore, CD74 engagement enhances the cytotoxic effects of conventional chemotherapeutics in ALCL cell lines, as well as the action of the ALK-inhibitor crizotinib in ALK+ ALCL or of CD95 death-receptor signaling in ALK− ALCL. Additionally, a subset of ALCL cases expresses the proto-oncogene MET, which can form signaling complexes together with CD74. Finally, we demonstrate that the CD74-targeting antibody-drug conjugate STRO-001 efficiently and specifically kills CD74-positive ALCL cell lines in vitro. Taken together, these findings enabled us to demonstrate aberrant CD74-expression in ALCL cells, which might serve as tool for the development of new treatment strategies for this lymphoma entity.


2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Aneesh Basheer ◽  
Somanath Padhi ◽  
Ramesh Nagarajan ◽  
Vinoth Boopathy ◽  
Sudhagar Mookkappan ◽  
...  

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) has a well known association with lymphomas, especially of T cell origin. Prognosis of lymphoma associated HLH is very poor, especially in T cell lymphomas; and, therefore, early diagnosis might alter the outcome. Though association of HLH with systemic anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) is known, its occurrence in primary cutaneous ALCL (C-ALCL) is distinctly rare. We aim to describe a case of C-ALCL (anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)−) in an elderly male who succumbed to the complication of associated HLH, which was possibly triggered by coexistent virus infection. We briefly present the literatures on lymphoma associated HLH and discuss the histopathological differentials of cutaneous CD30+ lymphoproliferative disorders. We do suggest that HLH may pose diagnostic challenges in the evaluation of an underlying lymphoma and hence warrants proper evaluation for the underlying etiologies and/or triggering factors.


Hematology ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 (1) ◽  
pp. 550-558 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne W. Beaven ◽  
Louis F. Diehl

AbstractPeripheral T-cell lymphomas (PTCL), with the exception of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-positive anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL), have a very poor prognosis. Although current first line chemotherapy continues to be a CHOP-like (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, prednisone) regimen there is now data suggesting that the addition of etoposide in younger patients improves outcomes. Even for those patients who do have a response to therapy, the risk of relapse remains quite high. Although autologous transplant in first remission is often used, its role as consolidation therapy in first remission remains unclear and may preferentially benefit low-risk patients. In the relapsed setting, major advances have occurred with Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of 4 new agents (pralatrexate, romidepsin, belinostat, brentuximab vedotin) for relapsed/refractory PTCL since 2009. These 4 drugs represent the first agents ever approved specifically for this indication. Unfortunately, with the exception of ALCL for which brentuximab vedotin will likely substantially change our approach to treatment, there are still many patients for whom available drugs will not be effective, and it is for these patients that further advances are urgently needed.


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