| 1. |
- Chigrinova, Ekaterina, et al.
(author)
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Two main genetic pathways lead to the transformation of chronic lymphocytic leukemia to Richter syndrome
- 2013
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In: Blood. - : American Society of Hematology. - 0006-4971 .- 1528-0020. ; 122:15, s. 2673-2682
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Richter syndrome (RS) occurs in up to 15% of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Although RS, usually represented by the histologic transformation to a diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), is associated with a very poor outcome, especially when clonally related to the preexisting CLL, the mechanisms leading to RS have not been clarified. To better understand the pathogenesis of RS, we analyzed a series of cases including 59 RS, 28 CLL phase of RS, 315 CLL, and 127 de novo DLBCL. RS demonstrated a genomic complexity intermediate between CLL and DLBCL. Cell-cycle deregulation via inactivation of TP53 and of CDKN2A was a main mechanism in the histologic transformation from CLL phase, being present in approximately one half of the cases, and affected the outcome of the RS patients. A second major subgroup was characterized by the presence of trisomy 12 and comprised one third of the cases. Although RS shared some of the lesions seen in de novo DLBCL, its genomic profile was clearly separate. The CLL phase preceding RS had not a generalized increase in genomic complexity compared with untransformed CLL, but it presented clear differences in the frequency of specific genetic lesions.
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| 2. |
- Leeksma, Alexander C., et al.
(author)
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Genomic arrays identify high-risk chronic lymphocytic leukemia with genomic complexity : A multi-center study
- 2020
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In: Haematologica. - 0390-6078. ; 105:5
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Complex karyotype (CK) identified by chromosome-banding analysis (CBA) has shown prognostic value in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Genomic arrays offer high-resolution genome-wide detection of copy-number alterations (CNAs) and could therefore be well equipped to detect the presence of a CK. Current knowledge on genomic arrays in CLL is based on outcomes of single center studies, in which different cutoffs for CNA calling were used. To further determine the clinical utility of genomic arrays for CNA assessment in CLL diagnostics, we retrospectively analyzed 2293 arrays from 13 diagnostic laboratories according to established standards. CNAs were found outside regions captured by CLL FISH probes in 34% of patients, and several of them including gains of 8q, deletions of 9p and 18p (p<0.01) were linked to poor outcome after correction for multiple testing. Patients (n=972) could be divided in three distinct prognostic subgroups based on the number of CNAs. Only high genomic complexity (high-GC), defined as 5 CNAs emerged as an independent adverse prognosticator on multivariable analysis for time to first treatment (Hazard ratio: 2.15, 95% CI: 1.36-3.41; p=0.001) and overall survival (Hazard ratio: 2.54, 95% CI: 1.54-4.17; p<0.001; n=528). Lowering the size cutoff to 1 Mb in 647 patients did not significantly improve risk assessment. Genomic arrays detected more chromosomal abnormalities and performed at least as well in terms of risk stratification compared to simultaneous chromosome banding analysis as determined in 122 patients. Our findings highlight genomic array as an accurate tool for CLL risk stratification.
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| 3. |
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| 4. |
- Baliakas, Panagiotis, et al.
(author)
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Splenic marginal-zone lymphoma : ontogeny and genetics
- 2015
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In: Leukemia and Lymphoma. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1042-8194 .- 1029-2403. ; 56:2, s. 301-310
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Splenic marginal-zone lymphoma (SMZL) is a rare tumor that has recently emerged as a prototype for how the interplay between genetics and environment shapes the natural history of lymphomas. Indeed, the recent identification of molecular immunogenetic subgroups within SMZL may prove to be relevant not only for the sub-classification of the disease but also for improved understanding of the underlying biology. In contrast to other B-cell lymphomas, SMZL lacks a characteristic genetic lesion, although the majority of cases harbor genomic aberrations, as recently revealed by high-throughput studies that identified recurrent genetic aberrations, several in pathways related to marginal-zone differentiation and B-cell signaling. Here we provide an overview of recent research into the molecular and cellular biology of SMZL and related disorders, with special emphasis on immunogenetics and genomic aberrations, and discuss the value of molecular and cellular markers for the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of these entities.
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| 5. |
- Baliakas, Panagiotis, 1977-, et al.
(author)
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Tailored approaches grounded on immunogenetic features for refined prognostication in chronic lymphocytic leukemia
- 2019
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In: Haematologica. - : Ferrata Storti Foundation (Haematologica). - 1592-8721 .- 0390-6078. ; 104:2, s. 360-369
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients with differential somatic hypermutation status of the immunoglobulin heavy variable genes, namely mutated or unmutated, display fundamental clinico-biological differences. Considering this, we assessed prognosis separately within mutated (M-CLL) and unmutated (U-CLL) CLL in 3015 patients, hypothesizing that the relative significance of relevant indicators may differ between these two categories. Within Binet A M-CLL patients, besides TP53 abnormalities, trisomy 12 and stereotyped subset #2 membership were equivalently associated with the shortest time-to-first-treatment and a treatment probability at five and ten years after diagnosis of 40% and 55%, respectively; the remaining cases exhibited 5-year and 10-year treatment probability of 12% and 25%, respectively. Within Binet A U-CLL patients, besides TP53 abnormalities, del(11q) and/or SF3B1 mutations were associated with the shortest time-to-first-treatment (5- and 10-year treatment probability: 78% and 98%, respectively); in the remaining cases, males had a significantly worse prognosis than females. In conclusion, the relative weight of indicators that can accurately risk stratify early-stage CLL patients differs depending on the somatic hypermutation status of the immunoglobulin heavy variable genes of each patient. This finding highlights the fact that compartmentalized approaches based on immunogenetic features are necessary to refine and tailor prognostication in CLL.
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| 6. |
- Ljungström, Viktor, et al.
(author)
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Whole-exome sequencing in relapsing chronic lymphocytic leukemia : clinical impact of recurrent RPS15 mutations
- 2016
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In: Blood. - : American Society of Hematology. - 0006-4971 .- 1528-0020. ; 127:8, s. 1007-1016
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Fludarabine, cyclophosphamide and rituximab (FCR) is first-line treatment for medically fit chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients, however despite good response rates many patients eventually relapse. Whilst recent high-throughput studies have identified novel recurrent genetic lesions in adverse-prognostic CLL, the mechanisms leading to relapse after FCR therapy are not completely understood. To gain insight into this issue, we performed whole-exome sequencing of sequential samples from 41 CLL patients who were uniformly treated with FCR but relapsed after a median of 2 years. In addition to mutations with known adverse-prognostic impact (TP53, NOTCH1, ATM, SF3B1, NFKBIE, BIRC3) a large proportion of cases (19.5%) harbored mutations in RPS15, a gene encoding a component of the 40S ribosomal subunit. Extended screening, totaling 1119 patients, supported a role for RPS15 mutations in aggressive CLL, with one-third of RPS15-mutant cases also carrying TP53 aberrations. In most cases selection of dominant, relapse-specific subclones was observed over time. However, RPS15 mutations were clonal prior to treatment and remained stable at relapse. Notably, all RPS15 mutations represented somatic missense variants and resided within a 7 amino-acid evolutionarily conserved region. We confirmed the recently postulated direct interaction between RPS15 and MDM2/MDMX and transient expression of mutant RPS15 revealed defective regulation of endogenous p53 compared to wildtype RPS15. In summary, we provide novel insights into the heterogeneous genetic landscape of CLL relapsing after FCR treatment and highlight a novel mechanism underlying clinical aggressiveness involving a mutated ribosomal protein, potentially representing an early genetic lesion in CLL pathobiology.
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| 7. |
- Mansouri, Larry, et al.
(author)
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Frequent NFKBIE deletions are associated with poor outcome in primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma
- 2016
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In: Blood. - : American Society of Hematology. - 0006-4971 .- 1528-0020. ; 128:23, s. 2666-2670
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We recently reported a truncating deletion in the NFKBIE gene, which encodes IκBϵ, a negative feedback regulator of NF-κB, in clinically aggressive chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Preliminary data indicate enrichment of NFKBIE aberrations in other lymphoid malignancies, hence we screened a large patient cohort (n=1460) diagnosed with different lymphoid neoplasms. While NFKBIE deletions were infrequent in follicular lymphoma, splenic marginal-zone lymphoma, and T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (<2%), slightly higher frequencies were seen in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, mantle cell lymphoma, and primary CNS lymphoma (3-4%). In contrast, a remarkably high frequency of NFKBIE aberrations (46/203 cases, 22.7%) was observed in primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma (PMBL) and Hodgkin lymphoma (3/11 cases, 27.3%). NFKBIE-deleted PMBL patients were more often therapy-refractory (P=.022) and displayed inferior outcome compared to wildtype patients (5-year survival: 59% vs. 78%; P=.034); however they appeared to benefit from radiotherapy (P=.022) and rituximab-containing regimens (P=.074). NFKBIEaberrations remained an independent factor in multivariate analysis (P=.003), also when restricting to immunochemotherapy-treated patients (P=.008). Whole-exome sequencing and gene expression-profiling verified the importance of NF-κB deregulation in PMBL. In summary, we identify NFKBIE aberrations as a common genetic event across B-cell malignancies and highlight NFKBIE deletions as a novel poor-prognostic marker in PMBL.
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| 8. |
- Mansouri, Larry, et al.
(author)
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Functional loss of I kappa B epsilon leads to NF-kappa B deregulation in aggressive chronic lymphocytic leukemia
- 2015
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In: Journal of Experimental Medicine. - : Rockefeller University Press. - 0022-1007 .- 1540-9538. ; 212:6, s. 833-843
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- NF-kappa B is constitutively activated in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL); however, the implicated molecular mechanisms remain largely unknown. Thus, we performed targeted deep sequencing of 18 core complex genes within the NF-kappa B pathway in a discovery and validation CLL cohort totaling 315 cases. The most frequently mutated gene was NFKBIE (21/315 cases; 7%), which encodes I kappa B epsilon, a negative regulator of NF-kappa B in normal B cells. Strikingly, 13 of these cases carried an identical 4-bp frameshift deletion, resulting in a truncated protein. Screening of an additional 377 CLL cases revealed that NFKBIE aberrations predominated in poor-prognostic patients and were associated with inferior outcome. Minor subclones and/or clonal evolution were also observed, thus potentially linking this recurrent event to disease progression. Compared with wild-type patients, NFKBIE-deleted cases showed reduced I kappa B epsilon protein levels and decreased p65 inhibition, along with increased phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of p65. Considering the central role of B cell receptor (BcR) signaling in CLL pathobiology, it is notable that I kappa B epsilon loss was enriched in aggressive cases with distinctive stereotyped BcR, likely contributing to their poor prognosis, and leading to an altered response to BcR inhibitors. Because NFKBIE deletions were observed in several other B cell lymphomas, our findings suggest a novel common mechanism of NF-kappa B deregulation during lymphomagenesis.
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| 9. |
- Mansouri, Larry, et al.
(author)
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Functional loss of IκBε leads to NF-κB deregulation in aggressive chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
- 2015
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In: Journal of Experimental Medicine. - : Rockefeller University Press. - 1540-9538 .- 0022-1007. ; 212:6, s. 833-843
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- NF-κB is constitutively activated in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL); however, the implicated molecular mechanisms remain largely unknown. Thus, we performed targeted deep sequencing of 18 core complex genes within the NF-κB pathway in a discovery and validation CLL cohort totaling 315 cases. The most frequently mutated gene was NFKBIE (21/315 cases; 7%), which encodes IκBε, a negative regulator of NF-κB in normal B cells. Strikingly, 13 of these cases carried an identical 4-bp frameshift deletion, resulting in a truncated protein. Screening of an additional 377 CLL cases revealed that NFKBIE aberrations predominated in poor-prognostic patients and were associated with inferior outcome. Minor subclones and/or clonal evolution were also observed, thus potentially linking this recurrent event to disease progression. Compared with wild-type patients, NFKBIE-deleted cases showed reduced IκBε protein levels and decreased p65 inhibition, along with increased phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of p65. Considering the central role of B cell receptor (BcR) signaling in CLL pathobiology, it is notable that IκBε loss was enriched in aggressive cases with distinctive stereotyped BcR, likely contributing to their poor prognosis, and leading to an altered response to BcR inhibitors. Because NFKBIE deletions were observed in several other B cell lymphomas, our findings suggest a novel common mechanism of NF-κB deregulation during lymphomagenesis.
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| 10. |
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| 11. |
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| 12. |
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| 13. |
- Pandzic, Tatjana, et al.
(author)
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Transposon Mutagenesis Reveals Fludarabine Resistance Mechanisms in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
- 2016
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In: Clinical Cancer Research. - 1078-0432 .- 1557-3265. ; 22:24, s. 6217-6227
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Purpose: To identify resistance mechanisms for the chemotherapeutic drug fludarabine in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), as innate and acquired resistance to fludarabine-based chemotherapy represents a major challenge for long-term disease control. Experimental Design: We used piggyBac transposon-mediated mutagenesis, combined with next-generation sequencing, to identify genes that confer resistance to fludarabine in a human CLL cell line. Results: In total, this screen identified 782 genes with transposon integrations in fludarabine-resistant pools of cells. One of the identified genes is a known resistance mediator DCK (deoxycytidine kinase), which encodes an enzyme that is essential for the phosphorylation of the prodrug to the active metabolite. BMP2K, a gene not previously linked to CLL, was also identified as a modulator of response to fludarabine. In addition, 10 of 782 transposon-targeted genes had previously been implicated in treatment resistance based on somatic mutations seen in patients refractory to fludarabine-based therapy. Functional characterization of these genes supported a significant role for ARID5B and BRAF in fludarabine sensitivity. Finally, pathway analysis of transposon-targeted genes and RNA-seq profiling of fludarabine-resistant cells suggested deregulated MAPK signaling as involved in mediating drug resistance in CLL. Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first forward genetic screen for chemotherapy resistance in CLL. The screen pinpointed novel genes and pathways involved in fludarabine resistance along with previously known resistance mechanisms. Transposon screens can therefore aid interpretation of cancer genome sequencing data in the identification of genes modifying sensitivity to chemotherapy.
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| 14. |
- Parry, Marina, et al.
(author)
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Genetics and Prognostication in Splenic Marginal Zone Lymphoma : Revelations from Deep Sequencing
- 2015
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In: Clinical Cancer Research. - 1078-0432 .- 1557-3265. ; 21:18, s. 4174-4183
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Purpose: Mounting evidence supports the clinical significance of gene mutations and immunogenetic features in common mature B-cell malignancies. Experimental Design: We undertook a detailed characterization of the genetic background of splenic marginal zone lymphoma (SMZL), using targeted resequencing and explored potential clinical implications in a multinational cohort of 175 patients with SMZL. Results: We identified recurrent mutations in TP53 (16%), KLF2 (12%), NOTCH2 (10%), TNFAIP3 (7%), MLL2 (11%), MYD88 (7%), and ARID1A (6%), all genes known to be targeted by somatic mutation in SMZL. KLF2 mutations were early, clonal events, enriched in patients with del(7q) and IGHV1-2*04 B-cell receptor immunoglobulins, and were associated with a short median time to first treatment (0.12 vs. 1.11 years; P = 0.01). In multivariate analysis, mutations in NOTCH2 [HR, 2.12; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.02-4.4; P = 0.044] and 100% germline IGHV gene identity (HR, 2.19; 95% CI, 1.05-4.55; P = 0.036) were independent markers of short time to first treatment, whereas TP53 mutations were an independent marker of short overall survival (HR, 2.36; 95 % CI, 1.08-5.2; P = 0.03). Conclusions: We identify key associations between gene mutations and clinical outcome, demonstrating for the first time that NOTCH2 and TP53 gene mutations are independent markers of reduced treatment-free and overall survival, respectively.
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| 15. |
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| 16. |
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| 17. |
- Sutton, Lesley-Ann, et al.
(author)
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Different spectra of recurrent gene mutations in subsets of chronic lymphocytic leukemia harboring stereotyped B-cell receptors
- 2016
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In: Haematologica. - : Ferrata Storti Foundation (Haematologica). - 0390-6078 .- 1592-8721. ; 101:8, s. 959-967
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We report on markedly different frequencies of genetic lesions within subsets of chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients carrying mutated or unmutated stereotyped B-cell receptor immunoglobulins in the largest cohort (n=565) studied for this purpose. By combining data on recurrent gene mutations (BIRC3, MYD88, NOTCH1, SF3B1 and TP53) and cytogenetic aberrations, we reveal a subset-biased acquisition of gene mutations. More specifically, the frequency of NOTCH1 mutations was found to be enriched in subsets expressing unmutated immunoglobulin genes, i.e. #1, #6, #8 and #59 (22-34%), often in association with trisomy 12, and was significantly different (P<0.001) to the frequency observed in subset #2 (4%, aggressive disease, variable somatic hypermutation status) and subset #4 (1%, indolent disease, mutated immunoglobulin genes). Interestingly, subsets harboring a high frequency of NOTCH1 mutations were found to carry few (if any) SF3B1 mutations. This starkly contrasts with subsets #2 and #3 where, despite their immunogenetic differences, SF3B1 mutations occurred in 45% and 46% of cases, respectively. In addition, mutations within TP53, whilst enriched in subset #1 (16%), were rare in subsets# 2 and #8 (both 2%), despite all being clinically aggressive. All subsets were negative for MYD88 mutations, whereas BIRC3 mutations were infrequent. Collectively, this striking bias and skewed distribution of mutations and cytogenetic aberrations within specific chronic lymphocytic leukemia subsets implies that the mechanisms underlying clinical aggressiveness are not uniform, but rather support the existence of distinct genetic pathways of clonal evolution governed by a particular stereotyped B-cell receptor selecting a certain molecular lesion(s).
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