0000000000217485
AUTHOR
Luigi Ruco
Follicular dendritic cells display microvesicle-associated LMP1 in reactive germinal centers of EBV+ classic Hodgkin lymphoma
Expression of the latent membrane protein-1 (LMP1) of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) was investigated in 153 cases of EBV+ classic Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL); 120 cases were pediatric patients (< 14 years of age) from Iraq, and 33 cases were adult patients from Italy. We describe for the first time the presence of LMP1 protein in EBV-encoded RNA (EBER)-negative follicular dendritic cells (FDCs) of reactive germinal centers (GC) associated with EBV+ cHL. Presence of LMP1+ GCs was independent of geographic region and age of patients. Variable numbers of reactive GCs were present in 22.2% of cases (34 of 153), whereas LMP1 staining of FDCs was present in about a third of cases (10 of 34) with reactiv…
A practical algorithmic approach to mature aggressive B cell lymphoma diagnosis in the double/triple hit era. Selecting cases, matching clinical benefit. A position paper from the Italian Group of Haematopathology (G.I.E.)
An accurate diagnosis of clinically distinct subgroups of aggressive mature B cell lymphomas is crucial for the choice of proper treatment. Presently, precise recognition of these disorders relies on the combination of morphological, immunophenotypical, and cytogenetic/molecular features. The diagnostic workup in such situations implies the application of costly and time-consuming analyses, which are not always required, since an intensified treatment option is reasonably reserved to fit patients. The Italian Group of Haematopathology proposes herein a practical algorithm for the diagnosis of aggressive mature B cell lymphomas based on a stepwise approach, aimed to select cases deserving mo…
Rituximab plus chemotherapy provides no clinical benefit in a peripheral T-cell lymphoma not otherwise specified with aberrant expression of CD20 and CD79a. A case report and review of the literature
Peripheral T-cell lymphoma, not otherwise specified (PTCL-NOS) is the most common entity of mature T-cell neoplasms. PTCL-NOS generally has an aggressive behavior and is often refractory to standard therapy. Only a few cases of PTCL with aberrant expression of B-cell antigens have been reported so far. This phenotypic aberrancy may lead to misdiagnosis as B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas and eventual inappropriate patient management, whereas in an accurately diagnosed PTCL, the presence of CD20 may appear as an appealing therapeutic target. In this setting, response to anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody in combination with chemotherapy has been poorly explored. We describe the case of a 59-year-old …
Control of target cell survival in thyroid autoimmunity by T helper cytokines via regulation of apoptotic proteins
After autoimmune inflammation, interactions between CD95 and its ligand (CD95L) mediate thyrocyte destruction in Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT). Conversely, thyroid autoimmune processes that lead to Graves' disease (GD) result in autoantibody-mediated thyrotropin receptor stimulation without thyrocyte depletion. We found that GD thyrocytes expressed CD95 and CD95L in a similar manner to HT thyrocytes, but did not undergo CD95-induced apoptosis either in vivo or in vitro. This pattern was due to the differential production of TH1 and TH2 cytokines. Interferon gamma promoted caspase up-regulation and CD95-induced apoptosis in HT thyrocytes, whereas interleukin 4 and interleukin 10 protected GD …
Response to 'TH1 and TH2 cytokine control of thyrocyte survival in thyroid autoimmunity'
Mirakian et al. question our recent results, which suggest that thyrocyte survival during thyroid autoimmunity depends on differential effects of TH1 and TH2 cytokines1. Thyrocyte destruction in autoimmune thyroiditis is a slow process that lasts several years. We hypothesized that in thyroid autoimmunity the balance between life and death in thyrocytes depends on the predominance over the time of TH2 and TH1 cytokines, whose action is not restricted to immune cells but involves direct modulation of key molecules responsible for survival or death of target cells1.
Transglutaminase Type II Plays a Protective Role in Hepatic Injury
The up-regulation of "tissue" transglutaminase (TG2) gene has been shown to occur in various pathologies and can lead to severe liver injury; however, its role in the onset of liver damage has not yet been clarified. To address this issue, we have used two experimental settings: carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4))-induced liver injury in wild-type and TG2 knockout mice; and liver biopsies obtained from a large cohort of hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected patients. Mice lacking TG2 failed to clear the hepatic necrotic tissue formed in response to prolonged CCl(4) exposure (5 weeks) and 60% of them died before the end of the treatment. By contrast, wild-type mice were able to recover after the toxic …