1/721. central nervous system T-cell lymphoproliferative disorder in a patient with chronic active Epstein-Barr virus infection. PURPOSE: central nervous system (CNS)-T cell lymphoproliferative disorder (T-LPD) developing during the course of chronic active Epstein-Barr virus (CAEBV) infection is reported. patients AND methods: CAEBV was diagnosed in a 14-month-old boy with fever, cytopenia, hepatosplenomegaly, and abnormal high titers of anti-Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) antibodies. At 8 years of age, he had a splenectomy because of progressive disease. RESULTS: After 27 months of clinical remission, muscle weakness and paresthesia developed. magnetic resonance imaging of his brain showed spotty T2 prolongation in left parietal, bilateral frontal, and temporal white matter with meningeal enhancement. brain biopsy revealed the cerebral infiltration of CD3 , CD4 , CD8-, CD45RO , CD56-, and EBV-encoded rna 1 cells. CONCLUSIONS: The CNS involvement of EBV-associated T-LPD is a rare but serious complication in CAEBV without known underlying immunodeficiency. ( info) |
2/721. Clonal expansion of gammadelta-T lymphocytes in an HTLV-I carrier, associated with chronic neutropenia and rheumatoid arthritis. We report on an HTLV-I carrier showing clonal proliferation of gammadelta-T lymphocytes associated with chronic neutropenia and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). A 75-year-old Japanese woman had a 20-year history of RA and was found to have neutropenia and lymphocytosis by routine examinations. Her white cell count was 5,800/microl with 89% lymphocytes. The proliferating gammadelta-lymphocytes did not show the typical morphology of large granular lymphocytes (LGL) and were positive for CD3, TCRdelta1, and HLA-DR but negative for CD4, CD8, and deltaTCS1. Clonally rearranged TCRgamma-chain (Jgamma) and TCRbeta-chain (Cbeta1) genes were detected by Southern blot analysis. Clonality of these proliferating gammadelta-T cells was confirmed by CDR3 size analysis for the TCRdelta-chain. Anti-HTLV-I antibody was positive and the pX region of HTLV-I proviral dna was detected by PCR analysis, but clonal integration of HTLV-I proviral dna was not detected by Southern blotting analysis. The patient's clinical course has been stable, except for infrequent infectious episodes. The association of HTLV-I/II infection with T-LGL leukemia has been reported by several groups, although most cases exhibit TCRalphabeta type T cells. Analysis of the junctional sequence of TCR on T-LGL leukemia cells may clarify the role of HTLV-I/II infection in clonal T-cell proliferation. ( info) |
3/721. Treatment of Epstein-Barr virus-induced posttransplantation lymphoproliferative disorder with foscarnet alone in an adult after simultaneous heart and renal transplantation. BACKGROUND: The kind and intensity of immunosuppression as well as Epstein-Barr virus, a transforming herpes virus that selectively infects B lymphocytes and causes infectious mononucleosis, have been implicated in the development of posttransplantation lymph-proliferative disorders (PT-LPD), a life-threatening complication of solid organ transplantation. The morphologic spectrum of PT-LPD ranges from polymorphous hyperplasia to monomorphous B-non-Hodgkin lymphomas. Among different modalities of treatment, reduction of immunosuppression with or without co-administration of antiviral agents may result in PT-LPD regression especially in mononucleosis-like disease. methods: Nonmononucleosis-like PT-LPD in a simultaneous heart and renal recipient was treated with foscarnet, a potent inhibitor of different herpes viruses with a low profile of toxicity, although intensive immunosuppression therapy was maintained. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: A 4-week course of foscarnet resulted in relapse-free complete remission (follow-up 10 months). Thus, antiviral treatment with foscarnet, may induce prolonged remission in nonmononucleosis-like PT-LPD without reduction of immunosuppression. ( info) |
4/721. Posttransplantation lymphoproliferative disorder mimicking a nonspecific lymphocytic pleural effusion in a bone marrow transplant recipient. A case report. BACKGROUND: Serous effusions are rare complications of bone marrow transplantation (BMT) and result mainly from infections or tumor relapse. CASE: We report a case of posttransplantation lympho-proliferative disorder (PTLD) revealed by cytodiagnostic examination of serous effusions in a BMT recipient. The effusion was initially considered reactive, but morphologic, immunocytologic and molecular studies subsequently revealed PTLD. CONCLUSION: This case demonstrates the importance of cytologic examination of effusions in BMT or organ recipients. Since most PTLDs are Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated B-cell lymphoproliferative disorders and T cells predominate in reactive effusions, appropriate initial immunostaining, including CD3, CD79a and EBV latent membrane protein, should aid in their early detection. ( info) |
5/721. Cryopathic gangrene with an IgM lambda cryoprecipitating cold agglutinin. Immunochemical and serologic studies of cold agglutinis in patients with chronic cold agglutinin disease (CCAD) have shown the almost exclusive occurrence of IgM kappa antibodies with specificity for the I antigen of red cells. An unusual subgroup of patients has been delineated in which the cryoprotein is IgM lambda, frequently lacks I specificity and often cryoprecipitates. Studies of such a protein from a patient with an unusual array of immunoproliferative disorders including Grave's disease with exophthalmos and Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia indicate that the cryoprecipitating and cold agglutinating properties probably derive from the sam protein. The occurrence of this type of antibody should suggest the presence of a more aggressive lymphoproliferative disorder than simple CCAD. ( info) |
| The autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome (ALPS) affords novel insights into the mechanisms that regulate lymphocyte homeostasis and underlie the development of autoimmunity. This syndrome arises early in childhood in persons who inherit mutations in genes that mediate apoptosis, or programmed cell death. The timely deletion of lymphocytes is a way to prevent their accumulation and the persistence of cells that can react against the body's own antigens. In ALPS, defective lymphocyte apoptosis permits chronic, nonmalignant adenopathy and splenomegaly; the survival of normally uncommon "double-negative" CD3 CD4- CD8- T cells; and the development of autoimmune disease. Most cases of ALPS involve heterozygous mutations in the lymphocyte surface protein Fas that impair a major apoptotic pathway. Detailed immunologic investigations of the cellular and cytokine profiles in ALPS show a prominent skewing toward a T-helper 2 phenotype; this provides a rational explanation for the humoral autoimmunity typical of patients with ALPS. Prospective evaluations of 26 patients and their families show an ever-expanding spectrum of ALPS and its major complications: hypersplenism, autoimmune hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia, and neutropenia. Defective apoptosis may also contribute to a heightened risk for lymphoma. ( info) |
7/721. Increased spontaneous in vitro apoptosis in double negative T cells of humans with a fas/apo-1 mutation. We describe a 17 year old patient suffering from Canale-Smith syndrome (CSS) including chronic lymphadenopathy, splenomegaly, hypergammaglobulinemia and recurrent Coombs positive hemolytic crises. The parents are not consanguine, all other family members including two brothers are healthy. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells of the patient showed an increased rate of CD3 positive, CD4/CD8 double negative t-lymphocytes. in vitro assays showed these cells to have an increased rate of spontaneous apoptosis. Though expression of Fas/Apo-1 (CD95) and Fas-ligand (FasL) was detected on rna- and protein level we found Fas/Apo-1 mediated apoptosis being significantly reduced. Sequencing of the fas/apo-1 gene proved the patient RT and his father to carry a point mutation at position 804 located in exon 9 (death domain) leading to an amino acid substitution. For developing of CSS, a fas/apo-1 mutation seems to be necessary but not sufficient. An additional independent mechanism must be involved in the pathogenesis of human lpr<-phenotype. ( info) |
8/721. Abnormal proliferation of CD4- CD8 gammadelta T cells with chromosome 6 anomaly: role of Fas ligand expression in spontaneous regression of the cells. We report a case of granular lymphocyte proliferative disorder accompanied with hemolytic anemia and neutropenia. Phenotypes of the cells were T cell receptor gammadelta CD3 CD4- CD8 CD16 CD56- CD57-. Southern blot analysis of T cell receptor beta and gamma chains demonstrated rearranged bands in both. Chromosomal analysis after IL-2 stimulation showed deletion of chromosome 6. Sorted gammadelta T cells showed an increase in Fas ligand expression compared with the levels in sorted alphabeta T cells. The expression of Fas ligand on these gammadelta T cells increased after IL-2 stimulation. The patient's anemia improved along with a decrease in granular lymphocyte count and disappearance of the abnormal karyotype without treatment. The expression of Fas ligand may be involved in spontaneous regression of granular lymphocyte proliferation with hemolytic anemia. ( info) |
| OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationship between autoimmunity and extranodal lymphocytic infiltrates in different lymphoproliferative disorders with immunoglobulin alterations. SUBJECTS AND DESIGN: A clinical review combined with a retrospective cohort study of 380 patients, 28 with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance, three with common variable immunodeficiency, 147 with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, 57 with Waldenstrom's macroglobulinaemia and 145 with non-Hodgkin's malignant lymphoma. SETTING: A university hospital and The State serum Institute in Copenhagen. INTERVENTION: Clinical examination of each patient with special attention to chronic inflammatory and autoimmune manifestations. Biopsies were taken from non-infectious infiltrates, some of which were additionally tested with PCR analysis for gene rearrangements. Serological screening with a test battery for various autoantibodies was used in combination with techniques for the detection of M-components and monoclonal B-cell proliferation. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Clinical and/or serological autoimmune manifestations, M-component and other immunoglobulin alterations, and inflammatory tissue changes were studied in patients with chronic inflammatory, polyclonal or oligoclonal pseudolymphomas and in monoclonal, malignant extranodal lymphomas. RESULTS: In 380 consecutive patients, 49 (12.9%) had extranodal manifestations, of whom 47 also had autoimmune manifestations. Nearly half of the 47 patients had more than one autoimmune manifestation. There was a strong correlation between clinical signs and corresponding autoantibodies such as anti-SSA and -SSB antibodies in sjogren's syndrome (10 cases), antithyroid peroxidase antibodies in thyroiditis and Graves' disease (10 cases), and parietal cell antibodies in gastric ulcers with maltoma (12 cases). Clinical and serological signs of autoimmunity correlated strongly with female sex (34, 72% women; and 13, 28% men) and with immunoglobulin alterations. CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge this is the first systematic review of B-lymphoproliferative and autoimmune disorders indicating that pseudolymphoma and malignant lymphomas, including maltomas, may develop in the context of a permanent autoantigenic drive. ( info) |
10/721. Epstein-Barr virus-associated B cell lymphoproliferative disease after non-myeloablative allogeneic stem cell transplantation. There is a growing interest in the evaluation of non-myeloablative conditioning therapy for allogeneic stem cell transplantation. Such regimens are expected to produce less toxicity while allowing both engraftment and a graft-versus-disease effect from the large number of donor-derived immunocompetent T lymphocytes given with the stem cells. Heavy immunosuppression used in recipients may have unexpected consequences. We describe the occurrence of a fatal Epstein-Barr virus-associated B cell lymphoproliferative disease (BLPD) early after such a non-myeloablated allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplant in a heavily pretreated patient. ( info) |