Objective: To analyze the detection rate, clinical significance, and prognosis of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on 1100 patients who underwent the CSF virus test after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in Peking University People's Hospital between January 2017 and June 2022. Among them, 19 patients were screened positive for EBV in their CSF, and their clinical characteristics, treatment, and prognosis were analyzed. Results: Among 19 patients with EBV-positive cerebrospinal fluid, 12 were male and 7 were female, with 5 patients aged <18 years and 12 aged ≥18 years, with a median age of 27 (5-58) years old. There were 7 cases of acute myeloid leukemia, 8 of acute lymphocytic leukemia, 2 of aplastic anemia, 1 of Hodgkin's lymphoma, and 1 of hemophagocytic syndrome. All 19 patients underwent haploid hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, including 1 secondary transplant. Nineteen patients had neurological symptoms (headache, dizziness, convulsions, or seizures), of which 13 had fever. Ten cases showed no abnormalities in cranial imaging examination. Among the 19 patients, 6 were diagnosed with EB virus-related central nervous system diseases, with a median diagnosis time of 50 (22-363) days after transplantation. In 9 (47.3%) patients, EBV was detected in their peripheral blood, and they were treated with intravenous infusion of rituximab (including two patients who underwent lumbar puncture and intrathecal injection of rituximab). After treatment, EBV was not detected in seven patients. Among the 19 patients, 2 died from EBV infection and 2 from other causes. Conclusion: In patients who exhibited central nervous system symptoms after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, EBV should be screened as a potential pathogen. EBV detected in the CSF may indicate an infection; however, it does not confirm the diagnosis.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Herpesvirus 4, Human ; Epstein-Barr Virus Infections/complications* ; Rituximab/therapeutic use* ; Retrospective Studies ; Clinical Relevance ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation/adverse effects* ; Lymphoproliferative Disorders/drug therapy*

A case of primary oral mucosal diffuse large B-cell lymphoma(DLBCL)due to long-term use of methotrexate(MTX)for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis(RA)was admitted to the Department of Hematology,Fujian Medical University Union Hospital.We analyzed and discussed the clinical features,diagnosis and treatment,and prognosis of specific malignant lymphoma induced by MTX in this RA patient.Our purpose is to improve the awareness and knowledge of other iatrogenic immunodeficiency-associated lymphoproliferative disorders of clinicians and pathologists.This study provides a new reference for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of MTX-associated DLBCL.
Arthritis, Rheumatoid/drug therapy* ; Humans ; Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse/drug therapy* ; Lymphoproliferative Disorders ; Methotrexate/adverse effects*

Objective: To investigate whether high-dose methylprednisolone with Rituximab and fresh frozen plasma (HDMP+RTX+FFP) is an effective therapy for patients with B-cell chronic lymphoproliferative disorders (B-CLPD) with TP53 abnormalities. Methods: Six B-CLPD patients with TP53 abnormalities from May 2008 to May 2012 were prospectively enrolled in the study. The patients were treated with HDMP+RTX+FFP for up to 6 cycles. Results: Of the six B-CLPD patients, there were 4 cases of chronic B-cell lymphoproliferative disorders-unclassified (B-CLPD-U) , 1 B-cell prolymphocytic leukemia (B-PLL) and 1 mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) . After a median 3 courses of treatment, 4 patients achieved complete remission (CR) including 3 with undetectable minimal residual disease (MRD(-)) . One patient was evaluated as stable disease (SD) and another one patient was in disease progression (PD) . After a median follow-up of 30 (4-56) months, 2 non-responders progressed quickly and died. All of CR patients survived and no one succumbed to disease progression at the last follow-up. The hematopoietic function was significantly improved after the treatment whereas there was also significant decrease in serum IgA, IgG and IgM levels. All patients showed well tolerance to this regimen. The incidence of myelosuppression was low and adverse events (AE) were mainly neutropenia which did not exceed grade 3 and infection. All AE were controllable. Conclusion: HDMP+RTX+FFP is an effective and relatively tolerable therapy for patients with B-CLPD accompanying with TP53 abnormalities.
Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; B-Lymphocytes ; Humans ; Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell ; Lymphoma, Mantle-Cell ; Lymphoproliferative Disorders/drug therapy* ; Methylprednisolone/therapeutic use* ; Rituximab/therapeutic use* ; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53

PURPOSE: To evaluate the clinical spectrum of posttransplantation lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) after solid organ transplantation (SOT) in children. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 18 patients with PTLD who underwent liver (LT) or kidney transplantation (KT) between January 1995 and December 2014 in Seoul National University Children's Hospital. RESULTS: Eighteen patients (3.9% of pediatric SOTs; LT:KT, 11:7; male to female, 9:9) were diagnosed as having PTLD over the last 2 decades (4.8% for LT and 2.9% for KT). PTLD usually presented with fever or gastrointestinal symptoms in a median period of 7 months after SOT. Eight cases had malignant lesions, and all the patients except one had evidence of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) involvement, assessed by using in situ hybridization of tumor tissue or EBV viral load quantitation of blood. Remission was achieved in all patients with reduction of immunosuppression and/or rituximab therapy or chemotherapy, although 1 patient had allograft kidney loss and another died from complications of chemotherapy. The first case of PTLD was encountered after the introduction of tacrolimus for pediatric SOT in 2003. The recent increase in PTLD incidence in KT coincided with modification of clinical practice since 2012 to increase the tacrolimus trough level. CONCLUSION: While the outcome was favorable in that all patients achieved complete remission, some patients still had allograft loss or mortality. To prevent PTLD and improve its outcome, monitoring for EBV infection is essential, which would lead to appropriate modification of immunosuppression and enhanced surveillance for PTLD.
Allografts ; Child ; Drug Therapy ; Epstein-Barr Virus Infections ; Female ; Fever ; Herpesvirus 4, Human ; Humans ; Immunosuppression ; In Situ Hybridization ; Incidence ; Kidney ; Kidney Transplantation ; Liver ; Lymphoproliferative Disorders* ; Male ; Medical Records ; Mortality ; Organ Transplantation* ; Retrospective Studies ; Rituximab ; Seoul ; Tacrolimus ; Transplants* ; Viral Load

A 67 year old woman with a 10 year history of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treated with methotrexate and prednisone, presented with a 2 year history of worsening multiple cutaneous plaques of variable appearance. Two distinct skin lesions were biopsied to reveal a composite cutaneous lymphoma, possibly caused by long term methotrexate therapy. An [18F] fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (¹⁸F-FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) was performed to stage the malignancy, and was later repeated to evaluate response to chemotherapy, which guided subsequent management. We present the PET/CT imaging findings of this very rare iatrogenic (methotrexate induced) immunodeficiency-associated lymphoproliferative disorder.
Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Composite Lymphoma ; Drug Therapy ; Electrons ; Female ; Humans ; Lymphoma ; Lymphoproliferative Disorders ; Methotrexate ; Positron-Emission Tomography and Computed Tomography ; Prednisone ; Skin

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Recently, large cohort studies regarding associations between autoimmune disease and lymphomas have been reported in a few Western countries. However, Asian data concerning autoimmune-related lymphomas are limited. Therefore, we evaluated the clinical characteristics and prognostic factors of patients with autoimmune disease-related non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) in a single center in Korea. METHODS: We analyzed the data from 11 patients with autoimmune-related NHL. Patients were categorized into two groups, those with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and those with non-RA-related NHL. Then patients were re-categorized into a group with methotrexate (MTX) usage and a MTX non-usage group. Histological subtype, MTX duration, autoimmune disease duration, treatment modalities, and other data were collected and analyzed. RESULTS: Our study revealed that older RA patients have a greater likelihood of occurrence of NHL (p = 0.042). We confirmed that MTX duration and cumulative dose of MTX have no significant correlation with autoimmune disease and NHL (p = 0.073). In the management of autoimmune disease-related NHL, all patients were directly treated with systemic chemotherapy instead of employing a wait and watch approach. Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) in all autoimmune disease-related NHL were 100% and 87.5%, with no treatment-related mortality during the 2-year follow-up period of our study. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that patients with RA-NHL are characterized by older age at onset compared to those with non-RA-NHL. Also considering of OS and PFS, intensive treatment strategy instead of delayed watchful managements may be required for autoimmune disease-related NHL including of old age group.
Age of Onset ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Autoimmune Diseases ; Clinical Study* ; Cohort Studies ; Disease-Free Survival ; Drug Therapy ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Korea ; Lymphoma ; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin* ; Lymphoproliferative Disorders ; Methotrexate ; Mortality ; Retrospective Studies*

Post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) is one of the main complications after stem cell transplantation and is often induced by EBV. The optimal treatment of PTLD includes reduction of immunosuppressant dose, transplant organ resection, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, and so on. Recently, a new therapeutic approach was developed in PTLD: the anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody or rituximab. In this review, the application of rituximab in treatment of PTLD is summarized, including risk factors and mechanism of PTLD, therapeutic strategy, application of rituximab in PTLD and so on.
Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived ; therapeutic use ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; adverse effects ; Humans ; Lymphoproliferative Disorders ; drug therapy ; etiology ; Risk Factors ; Rituximab

Post-transplantation lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) is a serious complication that can develop after either solid organ or hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). The incidence of Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) ranges from 0.5-1.0% of PTLD after HSCT without T-cell depletion. Here, we report a case of HL-PTLD that occurred after autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation for an angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AITL). A 36-year-old patient developed fever and chills with multiple lymphadenopathies at day 673 after auto-HSCT for AITL. Three months after the transplant, the patient developed fever with elevated plasma Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-PCR values. The excisional biopsy revealed HL at Ann Arbor stage IIIB. A total of 8 cycles of chemotherapy with ABVD please define were performed, and the patient has remained disease-free. To our knowledge, this is first case report of HL-PTLD after auto-PBSCT in Korea.
Adult ; Biopsy ; Chills ; Drug Therapy ; Fever ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation* ; Herpesvirus 4, Human ; Hodgkin Disease* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Lymphoma, T-Cell* ; Lymphoproliferative Disorders ; Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation ; Plasma ; T-Lymphocytes

The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is oncogenic and can transform B cells from a benign to a malignant phenotype. EBV infection is also associated with lymphoid interstitial pneumonia (LIP). Here, we report the case of a 14-year-old boy who was diagnosed with a latent EBV infection and underlying LIP, without any associated immunodeficiency. He had been EBV-seropositive for 8 years. The first clinical presentations were chronic respiratory symptoms and recurrent pneumonia. The symptoms worsened in the following 2 years. The results of in situ hybridization were positive for EBV, which led to a diagnosis of LIP. The diagnosis was confirmed by the results of a thoracoscopic lung biopsy. The EBV titer of the bronchoalveolar lavage specimens obtained after acyclovir treatment was found to be fluctuating. The patient had latent EBV infection for 8 years, until presented at the hospital with intermittent abdominal pain and distension. Physical examination and pelvic computed tomography revealed a large mesenteric mass. A biopsy of the excised mass led to a diagnosis of Burkitt's lymphoma (BL). The patient received combination chemotherapy for 4 months, consisting of vincristine, methotrexate, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and prednisolone. He is now tumor-free, with the LIP under control, and is being followed-up at the outpatient clinic. This is the first report of a Korean case of chronic latent EBV infection that developed into LIP and BL in a nonimmunocompromised child.
Abdominal Pain ; Acyclovir ; Adolescent ; Ambulatory Care Facilities ; B-Lymphocytes ; Biopsy ; Bronchoalveolar Lavage ; Burkitt Lymphoma ; Child ; Cyclophosphamide ; Diagnosis ; Doxorubicin ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Epstein-Barr Virus Infections ; Herpesvirus 4, Human* ; Humans ; In Situ Hybridization ; Lip ; Lung ; Lung Diseases, Interstitial ; Lymphoproliferative Disorders* ; Male ; Methotrexate ; Phenotype ; Physical Examination ; Pneumonia ; Prednisolone ; Vincristine

OBJECTIVETo summarize the clinical characteristics, early diagnosis, comprehensive treatment and prognosis of 6 cases of children with post-transplantation lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) after liver transplantation.

METHODData of 6 cases with PTLD seen between January 2011 and December 2013 were retrospectively analyzed. The anti-rejection drug dose adjustments, the effect of rituximab, antiviral therapy and comprehensive treatment program after surgery were explored.

RESULT(1) The diagnosis of PTLD was confirmed by histologic findings. Six cases of PTLD including 3 males and 3 females were diagnosed as congenital biliary atresia and underwent split liver transplantation. The occurrence rate of PTLD was 2.9%. (2) The median time to the development of PTLD was less than 6 months. The initial symptom of PTLD in all patients was fever and clinical manifestations of PTLD were non-specific, depending on the involving organs. Five cases of PTLD developed gastrointestinal symptoms, including diarrhea, abdominal pain, and abdominal distension. One case developed respiratory symptoms, including cough and tachypnea. Three cases had lymph node involvement. In 2 cases pathophysiology involved polymorphic lymphocyte proliferation and in 4 cases B lymphocyte proliferation. (3) Two cases died, in whom EBV DNA was not detected and were diagnosed as PTLD by surgical pathology before death. Four survived cases had high EBV-DNA load and then were diagnosed as PTLD by biopsy pathology. (4) Of the 6 cases of PTLD, 2 cases died and 4 cases survived. The overall mortality was 33%. The dead cases were only treated with laparotomy because of intestinal obstruction or perforation and the survived cases were treated with tacrolimus at reduced doses or discontinuation and rituximab. In 2 cases antiviral therapy (acyclovir) was continued, including 1 cases of intestinal obstruction treated with surgical repair. All the survived patients were followed up for 4 months to 1 year and no evidence has been found.

CONCLUSIONEBV infection is the high risk factor for PTLD after liver transplantation. Close clinical surveillance of EBV DNA for pediatric liver transplantation was important for the early diagnosis of PTLD. Reducing doses of immunosuppressive agents and rituximab is the initial therapy for PTLD. A reduction in the dose of tacrolimus is suggested. Operation therapy can also play a role in the management of local complications.

Antiviral Agents ; administration & dosage ; Biliary Atresia ; therapy ; DNA, Viral ; analysis ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Early Diagnosis ; Epstein-Barr Virus Infections ; diagnosis ; therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Immunosuppressive Agents ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; Infant ; Liver Transplantation ; adverse effects ; Lymphoproliferative Disorders ; diagnosis ; etiology ; mortality ; therapy ; Male ; Pediatrics ; Postoperative Complications ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate ; Tacrolimus ; administration & dosage