Familial lymphoma including a report of familial primary upper small intestinal lymphoma

Treating chronic diarrhea: A systematic review on Immunoproliferative Small Intestinal Disease (IPSID)

Immunoproliferative Small Intestinal Disease (IPSID) is a disease characterized by extra-nodal marginal zone B-cell lymphoma with villous atrophy in the small intestine, causing chronic intermittent non-bloody diarrhea. Although originally associated with the Mediterranean region, this disease is present in many countries worldwide and may have been underreported due to its complicated diagnosis and scarce scientific literature, especially in regards to treatment. This study aims to review IPSID clinical features, therapeutic options, and treatment outcomes to help physicians identify and treat IPSID. Using PRISMA guidelines, a systematic review of articles was conducted on PubMed database with search terms including IPSID, therapy, treatment, and outcomes. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were used to select 33 English language articles published from the year 2000–2020 that included relevant clinical information about IPSID treatment. Data were extracted independently by at least two authors to reduce the introduction of potential bias. There were 22 case reports, 7 reviews, 1 research article, 1 prospective study, 1 letter to the editor and 1 memoriam in which 76 patients were identified. Epidemiological analysis showed a mean patient age of 32 years old, 2.4:1 mal to female ratio and heterogeneous ethnicities, with 16 Europeans (43.2%) and 12 Asians (32.4%). Chief symptoms included chronic diarrhea (53/76, 69.7%), weight loss (49/76, 64.4%), malabsorption (38/76, 50%), abdominal pain (32/76, 42.1%), and finger clubbing (24/76, 31.6%). Patients stratified into the early disease stage (Galian A) were treated with tetracycline antibiotics, corticosteroids, and non-pharmacological supplements with mostly with complete or partial remission. Late stages (Galian B or C), were treated mostly with anthracycline-based chemotherapy, and occasionally surgery, radiotherapy, or rituximab. This work offers a targeted approach to diagnosing and treating IPSID to aid physicians and serve as a treatment guideline recommendation for future public policies and clinical studies.

Heavy Chain Disease of the Small Bowel

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The purpose of this review is to discuss current knowledge and recent findings regarding pathogenesis, outcome, and treatment for heavy chain disease (HCD) involving the small bowel, focusing on alpha HCD or immunoproliferative small intestinal disease (IPSID), the HCD subtype typically affecting the small bowel.

RECENT FINDINGS

A link between Campylobacter jejuni infection and IPSID has been established, but there is controversy as to the role played by this organism in disease pathogenesis. While cytogenetic abnormalities involving various immunoglobulin loci and PAX5 have been reported, these have been described in rare, single cases, limiting their ability to shed further light on disease pathogenesis. IPSID is typically regarded as a pre-lymphomatous condition with eventual progression to frank lymphoma; however, recent reports of longstanding non-progressive cases have expanded its clinical spectrum. IPSID is an uncommon disorder affecting the small intestine. This review focuses on current knowledge and novel insight regarding its pathogenesis, outcome, and treatment, with an emphasis on future directions.

Immunoproliferative small intestinal disease (IPSID): a model for mature B-cell neoplasms

Immunoproliferative small intestinal disease (IPSID) was recently added to the growing list of infectious pathogen-associated human lymphomas. Molecular and immunohistochemical studies demonstrated an association with Campylobacter jejuni. IPSID is a variant of the B-cell lymphoma of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT), which involves mainly the proximal small intestine resulting in malabsorption, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. Geographically, IPSID is most prevalent in the Middle East and Africa. IPSID lymphomas reveal excessive plasma cell differentiation and produce truncated alpha heavy chain proteins lacking the light chains as well as the first constant domain. The corresponding mRNA lacks the variable heavy chain (V(H)) and the constant heavy chain 1 (C(H)1) sequences and contains deletions as well as insertions of unknown origin. The encoding gene sequence reveals a deletion of V region and parts of C(H)1 domain. Cytogenetic studies demonstrated clonal rearrangements involving predominantly the heavy and light chain genes, including t(9;14) translocation involving the PAX5 gene. Early-stage IPSID responds to antibiotics (30%-70% complete remission). Most untreated IPSID patients progress to lymphoplasmacytic and immunoblastic lymphoma invading the intestinal wall and mesenteric lymph nodes, and may metastasize to a distant organ. IPSID lymphoma shares clinical, morphologic, and molecular features with MALT lymphoma, lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma, and plasma cell neoplasms.

Immunoproliferative small intestinal disease: portrait of a potentially preventable cancer from the Third World

PURPOSE

To review the recent progress in the understanding of clinical and laboratory characterization as well as management of immunoproliferative small intestinal disease (IPSID).

DATA IDENTIFICATION

A literature search was conducted using Index Medicus, MEDLINE (1962 to 1989), and bibliographies of identified relevant articles.

STUDY SELECTION

All international comprehensive reviews, reported epidemiologic or immunologic studies, and prospective clinical trials published or abstracted in English were selected.

RESULTS OF DATA SYNTHESIS

A high incidence of lymphoma primarily in the gastro-intestinal tract in Third World countries has stimulated enormous epidemiologic and pathogenetic interests globally. IPSID, with a distinctive biologic marker (alpha heavy chain para-protein), affects the young underprivileged population of those countries. The initially benign-appearing antibiotic-responsive immunoproliferative lesions often evolve to fatal high-grade lymphomas. Roles of environmental and host factors in this evolutionary course are emerging. Recently demonstrated malignant potentials form the early onset of pathogenesis have given a new dimension to the traditional management strategy of IPSID.

CONCLUSIONS

Epidemiologic, immunologic, and pathogenetic data that have emerged over the last 25-year study of IPSID have improved our understanding about the complexity of infection-immunity-cancer interrelationships, comparable to those that have arisen from the study of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Early detection and institution of antimicrobial-based treatment regimens with judicious and consistent follow-up can save the lives of many young patients whose manpower is badly needed in Third World countries.

Malignant lymphoma in the X-linked lymphoproliferative syndrome

Male patients with the X-linked lymphoproliferative syndrome (XLP) have an inherited immune deficiency to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection that results in fatal infectious mononucleosis (IM), acquired hypogammaglobulinemia- or agammaglobulinemia, virus-associated hemophagocytic syndrome, and non-Hodgkin's malignant lymphoma (ML). A clinicopathologic analysis of 17 patients with XLP who developed ML was performed. The median age of the patients at the time of diagnosis was 4.0 years (range, 2-19 years). The median overall survival was 12 months (range, 1-216 months). Eight patients had maternally related male relatives with ML. Other phenotypes of XLP were documented in male relatives of the remaining nine patients. Common presenting symptoms were fever, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. Nine patients had "B" symptoms. All ML occurred at extranodal sites. The intestines, most commonly ileocecal, were involved in 76.5% of the cases. Thirteen patients had localized disease (Stages I and II) and four patients had advanced disease (Stages III and IV). A diffuse histologic pattern of growth was observed in all cases. The distribution of histologic subtypes included small noncleaved (41.2%), large noncleaved (17.6%), immunoblastic (17.6%), small cleaved or mixed cell (11.8%), and unclassifiable (5.9%) ML. Surgical resection, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy resulted in disease-free survivals of up to 192 months in eight patients (median 114 months; range, 12-192 months). Eight of 17 patients (47%) are still alive. A median survival of only 6.0 months (range, 1-12 months) was observed in the nine patients who died. No residual ML was found at autopsy. The small noncleaved subtype had an adverse prognosis (seven of nine deaths versus one of eight survivors; P less than 0.05). Bacterial infection was the major cause of death (seven of nine patients). Characteristics that distinguish ML in XLP from other ML include a maternal family history of XLP, early age of onset, acquired hypogammaglobulinemia, post-EBV infection, and ileocecal involvement.

Epstein-Barr virus-induced diseases in boys with the X-linked lymphoproliferative syndrome (XLP): update on studies of the registry

Analyses of 100 subjects with the X-linked lymphoproliferative syndrome (XLP) in 25 kindreds revealed four major interrelated phenotypes: infectious mononucleosis, malignant B-cell lymphoma, aplastic anemia, and hypogammaglobulinemia. Eighty-one of the patients died. Two male subjects were asymptomatic but showed immunodeficiency to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). Seventy-five subjects had the infectious mononucleosis phenotype and concurrently, 17 subjects of this group had aplastic anemia. All subjects with aplastic anemia died within a week. Aplastic anemia did not accompany hypogammaglobulinemia or malignant lymphoma phenotypes. Hypogammaglobulinemia had been detected before infectious mononucleosis in three subjects, after infectious mononucleosis in five subjects, and was not associated with infectious mononucleosis in 11 boys with hypogammaglobulinemia. In nine subjects infectious mononucleosis appeared to have evolved into malignant lymphoma; however, the majority of patients with malignant lymphoma showed no obvious antecedent infectious mononucleosis. One subject had infectious mononucleosis following recurrent malignant lymphoma. Twenty-six of 35 lymphomas were in the terminal ileum. Results of immunologic and virologic studies of 15 survivors revealed combined variable immunodeficiency and deficient antibody responses to EBV-specific antigens. Mothers of boys with XLP exhibited abnormally elevated titers of antibodies of EBV. Subjects of both sexes with phenotypes of XLP should be investigated for immunodeficiency to EBV. Persons with inherited or acquired immunodeficiency may be vulnerable to life-threatening EBV-induced diseases.

Malignant lymphoma in first-degree blood relatives

The statistical significance of familial lymphoma in first-degree blood relatives was evaluated for the series of all lymphoma cases referred to our department since 1968. Four pairs of immediate relatives with Hodgkin's disease (HD) were found among 183 patients diagnosed between 1960 and 1980. The expected number during that period was 0.45. Thus, close relatives of HD patients had about ninefold increased risk of the disease (P less than 0.005). Mixed-cellularity was the most common subtype in these familial cases (6/8 patients). There were three pairs of close relatives with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) among 532 patients diagnosed during the same period, 1960-1980. The expected number was 3.86. These findings further indicate that HD may differ from NHL with regard to familial clustering.

HLA AW19, B12 in immunoproliferative small intestinal disease

A group of 21 patients with immunoproliferative small intestinal disease (IPSID), 10 with alpha heavy chain paraproteinaemia and 11 without it, were HLA typed. The results were compared with 35 disease controls and 120 normal controls. A significant increase of Aw19 and B12 antigens was noted among the patients compared with the control subjects. The high rate of association of both AW19 and B12 antigens in patients as compared with controls suggests a possible haplotype (Aw19, B12) association with IPSID.

Variable phenotypic expression of an X-linked recessive lymphoproliferative syndrome

Investigation of a family with cancer in boys revealed that at least 20 males had the X-linked recessive lymphoproliferative syndrome. A variety of phenotypes occurred: aproliferative phenotypes consisted of aplastic anemia, agranulocytosis or acquired hypogammaglobulinemia; and proliferative phenotypes of B cells included disorders associated with the Epstein-Barr virus, American Burkitt's lymphoma, immunoblastic sarcoma of B cells, fatal infectious mononucleosis or plasmacytoma. The lymphoproliferative disorders observed in males could have resulted from an immunodeficiency to Epstein-Barr virus. The variable phenotypic expression could have resulted from individual differences in the viral dose, duration of exposure and age at which the boys were exposed to the virus. Aproliferative phenotypes such as acquired hypogammaglobulinemia could have ensued from excessive suppressor-cell activity on B cells, whereas proliferative phenotypes such as Burkitt's lymphoma or fatal infectious mononucleosis could have resulted from infection by Epstein-Barr virus and failure to stop proliferation of B cells.

Malignant lymphoma of the small intestine in multiple family members: association with an immunologic deficiency

Four cases of malignant lymphoma all in male members of a family are described. In three of the affected individuals the primary tumor arose in the small intestine and in the other the site of origin was the retroperitoneum. Immunologic studies were carried out on the two surviving patients and on all other living members of their families. Low levels of immunoglobulins were found in one of the affected boys. During a recurrence of the tumor, the other boy showed temporary partial impairment of cellular immunity as measured by failure to react to delayed hypersensitivity skin tests, although lymphocyte transformation studies were normal. Nine months after treatment was completed his response to skin tests was normal. No immunologic defect was detected in the studies of the non-involved family members. The histologic appearance of the tumors was similar in the tissue sections which were available for review from three of the four patients; the tumor was classified as a malignant lymphoma, diffuse, mixed cell type (lymphocytic and histiocytic).

Primary upper small-intestinal lymphomal A report of 40 cases fron Iran

Primary upper small-intestinal lymphoma (PUSIL) has now been recognized as a distinct clinical entity with a distinct geographic distribution. Herewith are presented 40 cases of PUSIL seen at Pahlavi University Hospitals in Southern Iran. The investigation reveals the lymphoma to be predominantly a disease of those under 30 and males; the major complaints and physical findings point to an intraabdominal disease. An exception has been clubbing and osteoarthropathy. Special features of PUSIL include: (1) protein loss into the gastrointestinal tract leading to hypoalbuminemia and edema; (2) an antibiotic-responsive diarrhea and steatorrhea; and (3) an associated abnormal heavy-chain protein. The study further stresses the importance of peroral small-intestinal biopsy and the pathologic features of this condition.