Double-hit Lymphoma Patients Research Articles

Molecular Classification of Large B-Cell Lymphoma and High-Grade B-Cell Lymphoma Cases and Association with Outcomes in Morocco

Background: High-grade B-cell lymphoma with c-MYC and BCL2 and/or BCL6 rearrangements (HGBL-DHL/THL) is a recently identified category in the most recent World Health Organization (WHO) classification. For all tumors displaying the appearance of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) or high-grade B-cell lymphoma (HGBL), it is necessary to perform fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) in order to achieve an accurate diagnosis. The findings of FISH and immunohistochemistry (IHC) examinations from 50 DLBCL/HGBL samples obtained from Hassan II University Hospital in Fez/Morocco are reported. Methods: This retrospective study included 50 patients diagnosed with DLBCL/HGBL over a period of nine years (2013–2022) and treated with RCHOP chemotherapy protocol. All patients underwent a histological study followed by an immunohistochemical study to confirm the diagnosis and to classify patients according to cell of origin into non-GCB and GCB subtypes; then, a cytogenetic study using FISH was performed to classify patients according to the presence or absence of rearrangements in the c-MYC, BCL2 and BCL6 genes. A comparison was made between the molecular subtypes of DLBCL/HGBL in relation to clinicopathological features and outcomes. Results: Among the 50 cases studied in our population, we found 5 cases of HGBL with DLBCL morphology and 45 cases of DLBCL, which consisted of 13 cases (28.89%) of GCB subtype and 32 cases (71.11%) of non-GCB subtype based on the immunohistochemistry Hans algorithm. After FISH testing of all cases, we found three cases of double-hit lymphoma (DHL) and one case of triple-hit lymphoma (THL). Thus, HGBL-DHL/THL accounted for 8% of the cases. Furthermore, two cases were detected with only one rearrangement in the BCL2 gene and one case harboring a rearrangement in the BCL6 gene. DHL and THL patients and patients with a single rearrangement (BCL2 or BCL6) have a worse prognosis than patients with no rearrangement. Conclusions: DHL and THL are an aggressive entity of HGBL with poorer outcomes in comparison to DLBCL/HGBL NOS. First-line treatment with the RCHOP chemotherapy protocol may not be effective for all aggressive DLBCL cases. More targeted treatment is crucial for better patient outcomes.

Do Double-Expressor High-Grade B-Cell Lymphomas Really Need Intensified Treatment? A Report from the Real-Life Series of High-Grade B-Cell Lymphomas Treated with Different Therapeutic Protocols at the Institute of Oncology Ljubljana.

High-grade B-cell lymphomas with MYC and BCL2 and/or BCL6 rearrangements are known for their aggressive clinical course and so are the ones with MYC and BCL2 protein overexpression. The optimal therapy for these lymphomas remains to be elucidated. A retrospective analysis of all diffuse large B-cell lymphomas and high-grade B-cell lymphomas with MYC and BCL2 and/or BCL6 rearrangements diagnosed between 2017 and 2021 at the Institute of Oncology Ljubljana, Slovenia, has been performed. Only patients with double-expressor lymphoma (DEL), double-hit lymphoma (DHL), or triple-hit lymphoma (THL) were included. Demographic and clinical parameters were assessed, as well as progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). In total, 161 cases out of 309 (161/309; 52,1%) were classified as DEL. Sixteen patients had DHL, MYC/BCL2 rearrangement was observed in eleven patients, and MYC/BCL6 rearrangement was observed in five patients. Five patients were diagnosed with THL. Out of 154 patients (according to inclusion/exclusion criteria) included in further evaluation, one-hundred and thirty-five patients had double-expressor lymphoma (DEL), sixteen patients had DHL, and three patients had THL. In total, 169 patients were treated with R-CHOP, 10 with R-CHOP and intermediate-dose methotrexate, 19 with R-DA-EPOCH, and 16 with other regimens. The median follow-up was 22 months. The 5-year OS for the whole DEL group was 57.1% (95% CI 45.9-68.3%) and the 5-year PFS was 76.5% (95% CI 72.6-80.4%). The log-rank test disclosed no differences in survival between treatment groups (p = 0.712) while the high-risk international prognostic index (IPI) carried a significantly higher risk of death (HR 7.68, 95% CI 2.32-25.49, p = 0.001). The 5-year OS for DHL patients was 32.4% (95% CI 16.6-48.2%) while all three TH patients were deceased or lost to follow-up. Our analyses of real-life data disclose that the R-CHOP protocol with CNS prophylaxis is a successful and curative treatment for a substantial proportion of DEL patients.

α-KG inhibits tumor growth of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma by inducing ROS and TP53-mediated ferroptosis

Metabolic reprogramming is a hallmark of human malignancies. Dysregulation of glutamine metabolism is essential for tumorigenesis, microenvironment remodeling, and therapeutic resistance. Based on the untargeted metabolomics sequencing, we identified that the glutamine metabolic pathway was up-regulated in the serum of patients with primary DLBCL. High levels of glutamine were associated with inferior clinical outcomes, indicative of the prognostic value of glutamine in DLBCL. In contrast, the derivate of glutamine alpha-ketoglutarate (α-KG) was negatively correlated with the invasiveness features of DLBCL patients. Further, we found that treatment with the cell-permeable derivative of α-KG, known as DM-αKG, significantly suppressed tumor growth by inducing apoptosis and non-apoptotic cell death. Accumulation of a-KG promoted oxidative stress in double-hit lymphoma (DHL), which depended on malate dehydrogenase 1 (MDH1)-mediated 2-hydroxyglutarate (2-HG) conversion. High levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) contributed to ferroptosis induction by promoting lipid peroxidation and TP53 activation. In particular, TP53 overexpression derived from oxidative DNA damage, further leading to the activation of ferroptosis-related pathways. Our study demonstrated the importance of glutamine metabolism in DLBCL progression and highlighted the potential application of α-KG as a novel therapeutic strategy for DHL patients.

Orelabrutinib and venetoclax synergistically induce cell death in double-hit lymphoma by interfering with the crosstalk between the PI3K/AKT and p38/MAPK signaling.

Double-hit lymphoma (DHL) is a rare and aggressive mature B-cell malignancy with concurrentMYCandBCL2rearrangements. When DHL becomes relapsed or refractory, it becomes resistant to the majority of therapeutic approaches and has subpar clinical results. Therefore, innovative therapeutics for this particular patient population are urgently needed. Orelabrutinib, a new oral BTK inhibitor, combined with the Bcl-2 inhibitor venetoclax, was used to confirm the antitumor effect of DHL. Cell counting kit-8 and Annexin V-FITC/PI assays were used to examine the interaction of this combined regimen on DHL cell lines and primary lymphoma cells. RNA sequencing, EdU incorporation assay, mitochondrial membrane potential assay, and western blotting were employed to explore the molecule mechanism for the cytotoxicity of orelabrutinib with or without venetoclax against DHL cell lines. In this study, orelabrutinib combined with venetoclax synergistically induced DHL cell death, as evidenced by the inhibition of cell proliferation, the induct of cell cycle arrest, and the promotion of cell apoptosis via the mitochondrial pathway. Orelabrutinib treatment alters genome-wide gene expression in DHL cells. The combined regimen decreases the expression of BTK and Mcl-1, potentially interfering with the activity and crosstalk of PI3K/AKT signaling and p38/MAPK signaling. In addition, the combination of orelabrutinib and venetoclax shows cytotoxic activity in primary B-lymphoma cells. In summary, these findings reveal a novel therapy targeting BCR signaling and the Bcl-2 family for DHL patients with a poor prognosis.

Identification of m6a Methyltransferase KIAA1429 As a Potential Prognostic Biomarker in Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma

Introduction N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most abundant form of internal modifications in eukaryotic cells. m6A methylation is dynamically modulated by diverse types of regulators, including methyltransferases ('writers'), RNA binding proteins ('readers'), and demethylases ('erasers'). Growing evidence has shown that m6A methylation plays essential role in the development and progression of multiple cancers. However, the functions of m6A methylation in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) remains undefined. Herein, we aimed to identify novel prognostic biomarker by m6A methylation regulators and explore its underlying mechanism in DLBCL. Methods The available expression data of 48 DLBCL samples and 337 normal samples and the clinical information from 928 DLBCL samples were separately extracted from three databases. The expression level of the m6A methylation regulators was analyzed and the LASSO Cox regression was employed to calculate risk score. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses, and ROC curve analysis were conducted. GO and KEGG enrichement were applied to explore the potential function of KIAA1429 in DLBCL. The lymph node biopsies of DLBCL patients and reactive hyperplasia cases were collected with informed consent to detect the expression of KIAA1429. Results We firstly assessed the expression of m6A methylation regulators in DLBCL and found that most of them were dysregulated (p<0.001; Figure 1A-B). Subsequently, we conjectured that the alteration of m6A methylation regulators ratio may be an inherent feature representing individual differences, and discovered that the proportion of diverse m6A RNA methylation regulators was weakly to strongly relevant (p<0.05; Figure 1C). To evaluate the clinical prognostic value of m6A methylation regulators in DLBCL patients, 475 GCB DLBCL patients, which are intimately associated with double-hit lymphoma (DHL) were selected for further analysis. The univariate Cox regression analysis indicated that six genes were high-risk and were significantly associated with OS (p<0.05, HR>1; Figure 2A), including KIAA1429 (p=0.043, HR=1.743). Six genes were selected based on the minimum criteria of LASSO Cox regression to establish the risk signature (Figure 2B-C). The high-risk group had a significantly shorter OS in DLBCL patients (p<0.001; Figure 2D). Furthermore, ROC curve, univariate, and multivariate Cox regression analyses showed that high m6A risk score acted as an independent indicator in DLBCL patients (p<0.001; Figure 2E-G). We further evaluated the correlation between m6A methylation regulators and clinicopathological feature of DHL patients. KIAA1429 was found to be significantly associated with the IPI and DHL (p<0.05; Figure 3A-B). High expression of KIAA1429 resulted in a negative correlation with OS in DHL patients (p=0.018; Figure 3C). However, no significant difference was found in the OS of non-DHL patients (Figure 3D). Univariate analyses indicated that KIAA1429 was an independent indicator in DLBCL patients (p=0.04; Figure 3E). Enhanced expression levels of KIAA1429 mRNA and protein were verified in DLBCL cell lines (Figure 3F-G). Additionally, samples from DLBCL patients also showed significantly high expression of KIAA1429 compared to the reactive hyperplasia group, with the positive rate of 93% (50 of 54) and 25% (5 of 20), respectively (Figure 3H). To investigate the underlying mechanism of KIAA1429, WGCNA was used to divide genes into different modules (Figure 4A-B). Subsequently, We selected the blue module including KIAA1429 to analyze their functions. A significant association between KIAA1429 expression and its module genes was identified (Figure 4C). GO and KEGG enrichment illuminated that KIAA1429 may act as a potential prognostic biomarker by regulating the mRNA processing and MAPK signaling pathways (Figure 4D-F). Conclusions In summary, we identified for the first time that m6A methylation regulators were dysregulated in DLBCL, and its risk score could exert as an independent prognostic indicator in GCB-DLBCL. More importantly, our study demonstrated the prognostic value of KIAA1429 in DHL patients. Further investigations on the mechanism of KIAA1429 in DLBCL may assist clinicians in achieving individualized treatment for this patient population. Keywords: m6A, KIAA1429, prognosis, mechanism, DLBCL Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma having 8q24/MYC rearrangement in Japan.

The prognosis of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) having MYC rearrangement (MYC-R), including double hit lymphoma (DHL), is poor by standard immunochemotherapy. To evaluate the significance of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (SCT) for DLBCL with MYC-R, we retrospectively analyzed Japanese SCT registry data. In total, 54 patients with DLBCL with MYC-R were identified from 4336 registered adult DLBCL patients. Detailed clinical and cytogenetic information was obtained for 48 patients. The median age at diagnosis of the 48 patients was 54.5 (range 21-67) years. Twenty-six (54%) patients had MYC-R only (single hit), and 22 (46%) had MYC-R and BCL2, and/or BCL6 rearrangement (double/triple hit). In 12 patients who received auto-SCT during the first complete response (CR), both the 2-year overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) rates were 75.0% (95% confidence interval [CI], 40.8%-91.2%). In 20 patients who received auto-SCT after relapsed or refractory state, the 2-year OS and PFS rates were 68.2% (95% CI, 41.9%-84.5%) and 59.6% (95% CI, 35.1%-77.4%), respectively. In 17 patients who received allo-SCT, only 4 patients underwent SCT in CR. The 2-year OS and PFS rates were 29.4% (95% CI, 10.7%-51.1%) and 17.6% (95% CI, 4.3%-38.3%), respectively. The rate of non-relapse mortality at 1 year was 41.2% (95% CI, 17.1%-64.0%) in this group. The outcomes of single hit and double or triple hit were not different. These findings suggest that auto-SCT may be effective for MYC-R DLBCL, including DHL patients of chemosensitive relapsed or refractory state. Since most patients received allo-SCT not in CR, the outcome of allo-SCT was unsatisfactory due to high non-relapse mortality and early relapse. To clarify the role of allo-SCT for MYC-R DLBCL, further accumulation of patients is necessary.

Activation-induced cytidine deaminase overexpression in double-hit lymphoma: potential target for novel anticancer therapy

Activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) is one kind of the mutant enzymes, which target regulating the immunoglobulin (Ig) gene in Burkitt’s lymphoma to initiate class switch recombination (CSR), resulting in c-Myc chromosomal translocation. However, it is not clear that whether AID induces c-Myc/IgH translocation in double-hit lymphoma (DHL) with c-Myc gene translocation. In this study, the AID in DHL tissues and classical diffuse large b-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) tissues were compared. The results suggested that AID is of important value in predicting DHL, stronger CSR of AID was observed in DHL patients, which exhibited AID overexpression and c-Myc gene translocation of DHL after CSR induction. It is concluded that AID directly induces CSR in DHL and may result in c-Myc gene translocation. Targeting AID may be a good treatment regimen for DHL.

MYC rearrangement but not extra MYC copies is an independent prognostic factor in patients with mantle cell lymphoma.

Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) with MYC rearrangement (MYC-R) is rare and little is known about the importance of MYC extra copies (EC) in the absence of MYC-R in MCL patients. This study includes 88 MCL patients with MYC tested by fluorescence in situ hybridization and/or conventional cytogenetics, including 27 with MYC-R, 21 with MYC-EC, and 40 with normal MYC-NL. MCL patients with MYC-R more often had blastoid/pleomorphic morphology; a higher frequency of CD10, MYC, and simultaneous MYC and BCL2 expression; a higher level of MYC; and a higher Ki67 proliferation rate (P<0.05) than those without MYC-R. Although patients with MYC-R more frequently received intensive chemotherapy (P=0.001), their overall survival (OS) was significantly shorter than those without MYC-R. Compared with patients with MYC/BCL2 double-hit lymphoma (DHL), patients with MYC-R MCL had a similar OS but more commonly had bone marrow involvement, Ann Arbor stage IV disease, and a different immunophenotype. MCL patients with MYC-EC showed an OS intermediate between those with MYC-R and MYC-NL, either all or only blastoid/pleomorphic MCL patients included. Multivariate analysis showed that MYC-R, but not MYC-EC, had an independent and negative impact on OS. In conclusion, MYC-R but not MYC-EC showed a higher MYC expression and is an adverse prognostic factor for MCL patients. Although the OS of MCL patients with MYC-R is similar to that of MYC/BCL2DHL patients, these groups have different clinicopathologic features supporting the retention of MCL with MYC-R in the category of MCL, as recommended in the revised World Health Organization classification.

B-ALL/NHL 2002 GMALL Protocol As First-Line Treatment in Patients with Double-Hit Lymphoma: Favorable Results in18 Consecutive Patients from Two Italian Institutions

Introduction: In the revised 2017 World Health Organization (WHO) classification of lymphoid neoplasms, high-grade B-cell lymphoma with C-MYC and BCL2 or BCL6 rearrangements is classified as Double-Hit lymphoma (DHL), while the term Triple Hit lymphoma (THL) is employed when the three genes are rearranged (Swerdlow SH, et al 2017). Amplification of C-MYC plus BCL2 and/or BCL6 rearrangement or amplification are defined as "atypical DHL and THL" (Li S., et al 2015). We will here collectively refer to DHL and THL as DHL. Both true and atypical DHL are resistant to conventional chemo-immunotherapy and are associated with poorer outcome. The median survival is shorter than 12 months with standard regimens (Snuderl M, et al 2010). The success of intensified chemo-immunotherapy protocols in Burkitt lymphoma, encouraged many Centres to include these regimens in the treatment armamentarium of DHL. Among these protocols, the B-ALL/NHL 2002 of the GMALL multicenter group is an effective and well tolerated regimen in the treatment of Burkitt's lymphoma (Pollen M, et al 2011). We have adopted the GMALL protocol, as our guideline for the treatment of patients with true or atypical DHL. The preliminary experience with the GMALL protocol in 18 patients is here reported. Methods: We retrospectively evaluated patients with true or atypical DHL treated with the GMALL protocol at the European Institute of Oncology in Milan from 2015 and at the Mauriziano Hospital in Turin from 2012. The diagnosis was confirmed according to 2017 WHO classification and immunohistochemistry analysis and fluorescent in situ hybridization were performed in all patients. Patients were treated following the R-GMALL protocol according to their age group with less intensified doses applied to patients older than 55 years. The program was part of the treatment guidelines developed at each Center for the management of lymphoma patients and a written informed consent was obtained from all patients. Results: Eighteen patients were included in this analysis, 14 were true DH and 3 atypical DH and 1 was Burkitt like lymphoma. Five were transformed lymphomas, 4 after follicular and 1 after marginal zone lymphoma. The median age of the whole group was 64 years (range 43-77years). Eleven patients were male (61%), 15 patients (83%) had Ann-Arbor stage IV and 5 (28%) had bone marrow infiltration. Median lymphoma cells proliferation fraction assessed by Ki-67 IHC was 90% (range 70-100%). Patients received a median of 6 courses (range 2-6) of the GMALL schedule, as inpatient therapy. No patients died of infectious complications during chemotherapy. Twelve patients (67%) were in complete metabolic response (CR) at end of treatment and another patient in complete response by CT scan. Of the 5 refractory patients, four have died (3 for lymphoma progression, one due to infectious complications after salvage splenectomy plus RT), one is still alive, under salvage therapy at 7 months from end of treatment. Among 12 patients who achieved CR, 3 relapsed at 7, 10, 16 months from end of treatment, they are presently alive under salvage treatment. At a median follow up of 21.7 month, the median PFS is 21.4 months while median OS is not reached. The two-year PFS and OS rates are 42% and 66%, respectively (figure 1 A &amp; B). PFS was significantly worse in patients with bone marrow infiltration with median PFS of 7 months while not reached in the rest of patients. The median PFS was approximately 17 months for patients older than 55 years (n=13) and not reached for younger patients, with PFS at 2 years of 75%. There was no correlation with transformation, or Ki-67. Conclusion: This study indicates that intensive treatment with B-ALL/NHL 2002 GMALL protocol is effective and well tolerated in true and atypical DHL patients aged up to 77 years. In this preliminary series, the OS resulted superior to that commonly reported with standard chemo-immunotherapies, with median 17-month OS in older patients while median OS is not reached in younger patients. In fact, the results were particularly promising in patients younger than 55 years probably reflecting the proper dose schedule delivery in younger patients. Based on these preliminary results, we are continuing to use the GMALL protocol as upfront therapy in DH lymphoma patients and we are exploring the possibility of improving the therapeutic efficacy by supplementing the GMALL schedule with one of the novel non-chemotherapeutic drugs. Figure 1 Disclosures Derenzini: TG-THERAPEUTICS: Research Funding. Saglio:Celgene: Consultancy; Jansen: Consultancy; Incyte: Consultancy; Pfizer: Consultancy; BMS: Consultancy; Novartis: Consultancy; Ariad: Consultancy.

Are double-hit lymphoma patients being adequately evaluated for CNS disease?

e19036 Background: Double hit lymphoma (DHL) is a high-grade lymphoma with a propensity to involve the central nervous system (CNS) compared to the typically less aggressive diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Guidelines recommend considering cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) evaluation and prophylaxis per institution guidelines in DHL patients (pts). It is not clear when this evaluation should occur and what prophylaxis should be delivered. Methods: We performed an IRB granted retrospective analysis of pts with de novo DHL based on assessing high-grade lymphoma FISH panels treated within the Advocate Health Care System. The pt’s age, IPI score, CNS-IPI score, systemic treatment, CSF evaluation, CNS prophylaxis or treatment, CNS event (yes/no), progression free survival and overall survival were recorded. Results: Thirty-one pts were evaluated. Seventeen were male. Median age was 72 years (range: 40 to 89). Fifteen were stage IV. Median IPI score was 3 and CNS IPI was 3. Fifteen pts had CSF evaluated within their disease course. Fifteen pts received CNS prophylaxis or treatment including intrathecal (IT) methotrexate (n = 10), IT methotrexate plus hydrocortisone (n = 2), IT cytarabine (n = 1), IT methotrexate and systemic methotrexate (n = 1), or only systemic methotrexate (n = 1). The number of patients with a CNS event during their disease course was 3 with all 3 having leptomeningeal involvement. These 3 pts had CNS IPI scores &gt; 4. Two had CSF involvement at diagnosis. One died at 2 months; the other is alive and disease free at 44 months. The third pt developed CSF disease at relapse and ultimately died at 12 months. This pt had previously received IT methotrexate. For all pts, the median disease free survival (DFS) was 8.1 months; median survival was 11 months and 3-year DFS was 45%. Conclusions: Our small, but extensive review of community oncologists treating DHL patients showed there was a lack of CSF evaluation in these high-risk patients with a rate of less than 50%. For the patients evaluated, there was significant heterogeneity in CNS prophylaxis. The rate of 10% of patients having CNS disease is consistent with other reports of high-risk lymphoma and CNS relapse suggesting all DHL patients should have CNS prophylaxis.

Challenges and Opportunities for High-grade B-Cell Lymphoma With MYC and BCL2 and/or BCL6 Rearrangement (Double-hit Lymphoma).

The most common subtype of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, is cured in approximately two thirds of patients after initial therapy. The remaining one-third of patients who suffer relapse or become refractory have very poor survival outcomes despite salvage chemotherapy with or without stem cell transplantation. A considerable proportion of relapsed or refractory large B cells belong to the WHO subtype known as high-grade B-cell lymphoma with rearrangement of MYC and BCL2 and/or BCL6, also known as double-hit lymphoma (DHL). Most DHL patients present with Ann Arbor's stage III/IV, a comparatively higher rate of extranodal involvement including bone marrow and central nervous system infiltration, high levels of lactate dehydrogenase, and an elevated Ki67 expression in the tumor cells. Newer therapeutic approaches, including targeted therapy against BCL2, MYC, or other associated pathways, are needed. In addition, recent therapies that harness the immune system, such as checkpoint inhibitors and chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy, are changing the paradigm of treatment for non-Hodgkin lymphoma and could impact the outcome of DHL.

Efficacy of dose-adjusted EPOCH plus rituximab/R-CHOP regimens and the prognosis analysis in patients with MYC, BCL2/BCL6 gene copy number gain lymphoma and double-hit lymphoma: results from a single institution retrospective clinical study.

PurposeTo compare the efficacy of rituximab, dose-adjusted etoposide, prednisone, vincristine, cyclophosphamide, and doxorubicin (R-DA-EPOCH) with traditional rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (R-CHOP) regimens in double-hit lymphoma (DHL) and gene copy number gain (CNG) lymphoma and to contrast the prognosis of these two disease types.MethodsWe retrospectively examined 127 cases of newly diagnosed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), and used fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) to detect genetic abnormalities in MYC, BCL2, and BCL6.ResultsIn the two schemes, the 2-year progression-free survival (PFS) was higher for R-DA-EPOCH group than for R-CHOP (79.8% vs 57.5%, P=0.002), this advantage was also reflected in 2-year overall survival (OS) (81.6% vs 58.5%, P=0.002). In double CNG patients, R-DA-EPOCH regimen was significantly better than R-CHOP (P=0.007 for PFS, P=0.010 for OS), and R-DA-EPOCH has the same advantage in DHL patients (P=0.001 for PFS, P=0.047 for OS). For the two disease types, the PFS for DHL was inferior to that for double CNG (52.9% vs 72.4%, P=0.008), while the OS was not significantly different (P=0.050). Subgroup analysis showed that the PFS for double CNG with MYC and BCL2 was superior to that for DHL with MYC and BCL2 (P=0.043), this trend is also seen in double CNG and DHL with MYC and BCL6 (P=0.036). However, the OS was not significantly different between the two subgroups. Multivariate analyses showed that in DLBCL patients with genetic abnormality detected by FISH, the treatment and disease types were independent prognostic factors. The adverse reaction rates were similar in R-DA-EPOCH and R-CHOP (P>0.05).ConclusionOur retrospective study shows that DHL has a poorer prognosis than double CNG. Based on its improved lifetime and good tolerance, R-DA-EPOCH is a promising regimen for DHL or double CNG, which is expected to become the first-line treatment for high-risk DLBCL types based on more clinical research.

PLK1: a promising and previously unexplored target in double-hit lymphoma.

Inhibitors that target specific kinases or oncoproteins have become popular additions to or replacements for cytotoxic chemotherapies to treat many different types of cancer. However, many tumors lack a discernable target kinase and an amplified oncoprotein and/or rely on several cooperating mechanisms for progression. Thus, combinations of targeted therapies are essential for treating many cancers to avoid the rapid emergence of resistance. In this issue of the JCI, Ren et al. use an elegant kinase activity-profiling method and identify activity of the oncogene polo-like kinase-1 (PLK1) as an important driver of double-hit lymphoma (DHL), an aggressive subgroup of B cell lymphoma characterized by chromosomal translocations involving c-MYC and BCL2 or BCL6. Moreover, PLK1 activity was associated with MYC expression and poor prognosis in DHL patients. PLK1 inhibition with volasertib, alone and in combination with the BCL-2 inhibitor venetoclax, was efficacious in multiple DHL models, including mice harboring DHL patient-derived xenografts. Together, these data support PLK1 as a promising prognostic marker and therapeutic target for DHL.

The BET bromodomain inhibitor CPI203 overcomes resistance to ABT-199 (venetoclax) by downregulation of BFL-1/A1 in in vitro and in vivo models of MYC+/BCL2+ double hit lymphoma.

High-grade B-cell lymphoma with MYC and BCL2 and/or BCL6 rearrangements, mostly known as double-hit lymphoma (DHL), is a rare entity characterized by morphologic and molecular features between Burkitt lymphoma and the clinically manageable diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). DHL patients usually undergo a rapidly progressing clinical course associated with resistance to standard chemo-immunotherapy. As a consequence, the prognosis of this entity is particularly poor with a median overall survival inferior to 1 year. ABT-199 (venetoclax) is a potent and selective small-molecule antagonist of BCL-2 recently approved for the treatment of a specific subtype of lymphoid neoplasm. In this study, we demonstrate that single-agent ABT-199 efficiently displaces BAX from BCL-2 complexes but fails to maintain a significant antitumor activity over time in most MYC+/BCL2+DHL cell lines and primary cultures, as well as in a xenograft mouse model of the disease. We further identify the accumulation of the BCL2-like protein BFL-1 to be a major mechanism involved in acquired resistance to ABT-199. Noteworthy, this phenomenon can be counteracted by the BET bromodomain inhibitor CPI203, since gene expression profiling identifies BCL2A1, the BFL-1 coding gene, as one of the top apoptosis-related gene modulated by this compound. Upon CPI203 treatment, simultaneous downregulation of MYC and BFL-1 further overcomes resistance to ABT-199 both in vitro and in vivo, engaging synergistic caspase-mediated apoptosis in DHL cultures and tumor xenografts. Together, these findings highlight the relevance of BFL-1 in DH lymphoma-associated drug resistance and support the combined use of a BCL-2 antagonist and a BET inhibitor as a promising therapeutic strategy for patients with aggressive DHL.

Co-targeting Aurora kinase A and Bcl-2 synergistically inhibits the viability in double-hit lymphoma cells

Background: Double-hit lymphoma (DHL) is a rare high-grade B-cell lymphoma characterized by MYC and Bcl-2 or Bcl-6 gene translocations. The treatment of DHL remains a substantial clinical challenge due to remarkably undesirable outcomes. Innovative drugs or combination treatment strategies need to be developed to improve the prognosis of DHL patients. The purpose of this study was to investigate the combination treatment of a novel Aurora kinase A (Aurka) inhibitor, named alisertib (MLN8237) and a selective Bcl-2 inhibitor, named ABT-199 in vitro, and to explore the underlying mechanisms in human DHL cell lines. Methods: Cell proliferation was assessed using MTS assay in DHL cells treated with alisertib and ABT-199. Synergistic effects between two drugs were analyzed based on combination index (CI) values. Cell cycle and apoptosis were detected through flow cytometry. The expression of drug-targeted proteins, cell-cycle proteins as well as apoptosis-related proteins were detected by Western blot. Results: Alisertib and ABT-199 alone exhibited a relatively modest cytotoxicity in a concentration- and time-dependent manner, but the combination treatment produced stronger antitumor efficacy and synergistically suppressed the DHL cell growth. Otherwise, the combination treatment between alisertib and ABT-199 arrested the cell cycle in the G2/M phase at respectively lower concentrations (2/5 IC50), while the higher concentrations (3/5 IC50) resulted in a striking increase of cell apoptosis. Further studies demonstrated that both alisertib and ABT-199 downregulated the expression of cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (CDK1) and cyclin B1, but upregulated the p21 and p53 expression. The combination treatment enhanced the expression of cell intrinsic apoptotic proteins, including cleaved Poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) and caspase-3. In addition, the combination treatment almost completely inhibited the expression of drug-targeted proteins, including MYC and Aurka phosphorylation. However, alisertib and ABT-199 did not alter the Bcl-2 expression. Conclusions: Alisertib and ABT-199 had synergistic effects on the inhibition of cell viability, induction of cell G2/M phase arrest and apoptosis in DHL cells. The underlying mechanism of synergism was associated with the p53/p21 and cell intrinsic apoptotic pathways. Our findings suggested that co-targeting Aurka and Bcl-2 might be a potentially therapeutic strategy for DHL lymphoma.

Outcome of elderly patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma treated with R-CHOP: results from the UK NCRI R-CHOP14v21 trial with combined analysis of molecular characteristics with the DSHNHL RICOVER-60 trial

BackgroundThere is an on-going debate whether 2- or 3-weekly administration of R-CHOP is the preferred first-line treatment for elderly patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). The UK NCRI R-CHOP14v21 randomized phase 3 trial did not demonstrate a difference in outcomes between R-CHOP-14 and R-CHOP-21 in newly diagnosed DLBCL patients aged 19–88 years, but data on elderly patients have not been reported in detail so far. Here, we provide a subgroup analysis of patients ≥60 years treated on the R-CHOP14v21 trial with extended follow-up.Patients and methodsSix hundred and four R-CHOP14v21 patients ≥60 years were included in this subgroup analysis, with a median follow-up of 77.7 months. To assess the impact of MYC rearrangements (MYC-R) and double-hit-lymphoma (DHL) on outcome in elderly patients, we performed a joint analysis of cases with available molecular data from the R-CHOP14v21 (N = 217) and RICOVER-60 (N = 204) trials.ResultsElderly DLBCL patients received high dose intensities with median total doses of ≥98% for all agents. Toxicities were similar in both arms with the exception of more grade ≥3 neutropenia (P < 0.0001) and fewer grade ≥3 thrombocytopenia (P = 0.05) in R-CHOP-21 versus R-CHOP-14. The elderly patient population had a favorable 5-year overall survival (OS) of 69% (95% CI: 65–73). We did not identify any subgroup of patients that showed differential response to either regimen. In multivariable analysis including individual factors of the IPI, gender, bulk, B2M and albumin levels, only age and B2M were of independent prognostic significance for OS. Molecular analyses demonstrated a significant impact of MYC-R (HR = 1.96; 95% CI: 1.22–3.16; P = 0.01) and DHL (HR = 2.21; 95% CI: 1.18–4.11; P = 0.01) on OS in the combined trial cohorts, independent of other prognostic factors.ConclusionsOur data support equivalence of both R-CHOP application forms in elderly DLBCL patients. Elderly MYC-R and DHL patients have inferior prognosis and should be considered for alternative treatment approaches.Trial numbersISCRTN 16017947 (R-CHOP14v21); NCT00052936 (RICOVER-60).

913P - Prevalence, clinico-pathological features and outcomes of ‘double-hit’ high-grade B-cell non-Hodgkins lymphoma (NHL): a single institution experience

913P - Prevalence, clinico-pathological features and outcomes of ‘double-hit’ high-grade B-cell non-Hodgkins lymphoma (NHL): a single institution experience

High-grade B-cell Lymphoma With MYC Rearrangement and Without BCL2 and BCL6 Rearrangements Is Associated With High P53 Expression and a Poor Prognosis

Patients with MYC/BCL2 double-hit lymphoma (DHL) are known to have an aggressive clinical course and to respond poorly to various therapies including intensive chemotherapy and stem cell transplant. Less is known about high-grade B-cell lymphoma with MYC rearrangement without concomitant BCL2 and BCL6 rearrangement, designated here as single-hit lymphoma (SHL). In this study, we assessed 61 cases of SHL and compared them with 83 cases of DHL, all confirmed by MYC, BCL2, and BCL6 fluorescence in situ hybridization studies. Although many clinicopathologic features overlap between patients with SHL and those with DHL, distinct features were observed in SHL. Patients with SHL had tumors with a higher prevalence of p53 overexpression (P=0.047), less frequent expression of CD10, BCL2, and BCL6 (P<0.05), and less often had a history of low-grade B-cell lymphoma (P=0.01). In addition, MYC was more frequently partnered with IGH in SHL than in DHL (P=0.04). With a median follow-up of 25 months, the overall survival of 61 SHL patients was poor and similar to that of DHL patients (2-y overall survival rate of 41% in SHL vs. 48% in DHL; P=0.35) and significantly worse than patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and B-cell lymphoma, unclassifiable, with features intermediate between diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and Burkitt lymphoma, without MYC and BCL2 rearrangements (P<0.0001). In conclusion, patients with SHL have distinct clinicopathologic features but a similar poor prognosis compared with patients with MYC/BCL2 DHL. The poor prognosis of patients with SHL may be partially related to the higher frequency and level of p53 expression in these tumors.

Impact of induction regimen and stem cell transplantation on outcomes in double-hit lymphoma: a multicenter retrospective analysis

AbstractPatients with double-hit lymphoma (DHL), which is characterized by rearrangements of MYC and either BCL2 or BCL6, face poor prognoses. We conducted a retrospective multicenter study of the impact of baseline clinical factors, induction therapy, and stem cell transplant (SCT) on the outcomes of 311 patients with previously untreated DHL. At median follow-up of 23 months, the median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) rates among all patients were 10.9 and 21.9 months, respectively. Forty percent of patients remain disease-free and 49% remain alive at 2 years. Intensive induction was associated with improved PFS, but not OS, and SCT was not associated with improved OS among patients achieving first complete remission (P = .14). By multivariate analysis, advanced stage, central nervous system involvement, leukocytosis, and LDH >3 times the upper limit of normal were associated with higher risk of death. Correcting for these, intensive induction was associated with improved OS. We developed a novel risk score for DHL, which divides patients into high-, intermediate-, and low-risk groups. In conclusion, a subset of DHL patients may be cured, and some patients may benefit from intensive induction. Further investigations into the roles of SCT and novel agents are needed.

Double hit lymphoma: the MD Anderson Cancer Center clinical experience.

We report our experience with 129 cases of double hit lymphoma (DHL), defined as B-cell lymphoma with translocations and/or extra signals involving MYC plus BCL2 and/or BCL6. All cases were reviewed for histopathological classification. Median age was 62years (range, 18-85), 84% of patients had advanced-stage disease, and 87% had an International Prognostic Index score ≥2. Fourteen patients (11%) had a history of low-grade follicular lymphoma. MYC translocation was present in 81%, and extra signals of MYC in 25% of patients. IGH-BCL2 translocation was present in 84% and extra signals of BCL2 in 12% of patients. Two-year event-free survival (EFS) rates in all patients and patients who received R-CHOP (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, prednisone), R-EPOCH (rituximab, etoposide, prednisone, vincristine, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin), and R-HyperCVAD/MA (rituximab, hyperfractionated cyclophosphamide, vincristine, doxorubicin, dexamethasone, alternating with cytarabine plus methotrexate) were 33%, 25%, 67% and 32%, respectively. In patients achieving complete response with initial therapy (n=71), 2-year EFS rates in patients who did (n=23) or did not (n=48) receive frontline stem cell transplantation were 68% and 53%, respectively (P=0·155). The cumulative incidence of central nervous system involvement was 13% at 3years. Multivariate analysis identified performance status ≥2 and bone marrow involvement as independent adverse prognostic factors for EFS and OS. Further research is needed to identify predictive and/or targetable biological markers and novel therapeutic approaches for DHL patients.