Castleman's disease and HIV infection in Australia

Clinical and histopathology characteristics of Castleman disease: a multicenter study of 51 Brazilian patients

Castleman's disease (CD) is a rare and heterogeneous lymphoproliferative disorder, with limited available clinical information in Brazil. A retrospective study was carried out through information contained in the medical records of 51 patients, between July 1999 and June 2020. Seven patients were excluded, and 44 were analyzed in total. The average age of unicentric CD (UCD) patients was 35 years old and of multicentric CD (MCD) patients was 49 years old (p = 0.013). Regarding gender, there was a predominance of females among patients with UCD (68.4%) and males in patients with MCD (57.9%) (p = 0.103). The most common site of involvement in UCD was the cervical region (36.8%). A total of 73.7% of patients with UCD and 68.4% of patients with MCD presented the histological form hialyne-vascular (HV) (p = 0.499). Most patients with laboratory abnormalities had MCD. A total of 78% of the patients were asymptomatic, with the majority of symptomatic patients with MCD (p = 0.042). Only two of the 27 patients evaluated for the presence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) had positive serology. HHV-8 was evaluated in 14 cases, being positive in two. Of the patients with UCD, 94.7% underwent excisional biopsy, against only 41.2% of patients with MCD (p = 0.01). The mean follow-up was 61 months. We observed similarities in the clinical profile between patients in our study and patients described in the literature, such as gender, mean age, B symptoms, visceromegaly, fluid accumulation, and treatment. Unlike the literature, the cervical region was the most affected site, besides the greater association of the HV histological subtype among patients with MCD.

Multicentric Castleman's disease in HIV patients: a single-center cohort diagnosed from 2008 to 2018

Purpose

Castleman’s disease (CD) is a well-established entity but there is a lack of available data regarding the management and therapy of HIV- and HHV-8-positive multicentric CD (MCD). We provide our own single-center experience with HIV-associated MCD.

Methods

We performed a retrospective, descriptive study on a cohort of patients with MCD, diagnosed and admitted to the infectious diseases or intensive care unit in the University Hospital Düsseldorf between 2008 and 2018. Included patients had a previous or new HIV diagnosis and clinical signs resembling MCD with evidence of HHV-8 replication or histological diagnosis for MCD.

Results

Nine male patients were included in the study. All patients were treated with Rituximab after diagnosis of MCD, with six of them acquiring resolution of symptoms. Three patients received tocilizumab additionally. Other treatment options included: splenectomy (2/9), valganciclovir (2/9), vincristine and siltuximab (1/9), ruxolitinib and Cytosorb^® (2/9). The relapse rate was 44% (4/9) and the survival rate 87.5% after 1 year (8/9) and 71.4% after 3 years (5/7).

Conclusion

The most effective first-line therapy and retreatment option remains rituximab. The effectiveness of other treatment options like splenectomy or different immunotherapeutic approaches requires confirmation in larger-scale studies.

Castleman's disease

Castleman's disease, a type of lymph node hyperplasia, usually occurs in the mediastinum and rarely presents in the cervical region as an asymptomatic solitary mass. Clinically, they are of two types-solitary and multi-centric. Most of the solitary types are asymptomatic with no associated symptoms, whereas the multi-centric type is associated with systemic symptoms and has a poor prognosis. Histologically, they can be classified as-Hyaline vascular, plasma cell, transitional and stromal rich type. We report a case of Castleman's disease involving the submandibular lymph node in a 75-year-old male patient whose definitive diagnosis was made only on histological examination. Isolated Castleman's disease of the submandibular node is rare and a thorough clinical and histological examination is necessary to rule out the systemic form of the disease and other diseases with manifestations as a cervical lymph node enlargement.

Clinicopathological Profile of Castleman's Disease in Indian Population: Experience From a Tertiary Care Center

Castleman's disease (CD), also known as angiofollicular lymph node hyperplasia, a rare, non-malignant chronic lymphoproliferative disease characterized by, uni or multicentric lymphadenopathy. There is limited information about the clinicopathological variations and associations of this entity. A total of 50 cases of CD were retrieved from the archives, between the years 2005-2017. The cases were divided into pediatric (0-18 years), young adult (age ≤ 40 years) and older adult groups (age > 40 years respectively). Detailed clinicopathological correlation was done. The age range was 6-74 years. There was a male predominance (M: F-1.6:1). The majority (72%; 36/50) of the patients were adults; 46% young adult and 28% older adult, while only 28% (14/50) were of pediatric. Majority (78%) showed features of unicentric Castleman disease (UCD) while rest 22% presented with multi centric Castleman disease (MCD). Systemic symptoms were more frequent in MCD as compared to UCD cases (p = 0.06). The majority of the cases (40/50; 80%) were of the hyaline vascular type. Two of the cases showed mixed histological feature. Out of 50 patients 29 patient's treatment details are available. Majority unicentric cases were cases surgically excised 14/17 (82.3%). Three patients 3/17 (17.6%) were treated with chemotherapy. In multicentric Castleman's disease group, six of the 12 cases with MCD were managed by chemotherapy. One patient died of progressive disease. Castleman disease has varied clinical presentation and is often associated with other diseases. A high degree of suspicion and careful histological examination is required in order not to miss this entity.

Castleman's disease in the HIV-endemic setting

Introduction

Castleman’s disease (CD), first described by Benjamin Castleman in 1954, is a giant or angiofollicular lymph node hyperplasia, described as a rare monotypic polyclonal B-cell lymphoproliferative disorder with an incompletely understood pathogenesis and variable clinical behavior. This study aimed to determine the incidence of CD diagnosis over an 11-year period. Additionally, the study aimed to describe the demographic, laboratory, and pathological features of CD.

Methods

This is a retrospective study where the demographic and laboratory data were retrieved from the Tygerberg Academic Hospital (TAH) patient electronic records and Tygerberg Lymphoma Study Group (TLSG) and statistical analysis performed on the patients diagnosed with CD.

Results

Fifty-four patients were diagnosed with CD during this period. The median age at presentation was 39 years (range: 9–58). HIV serology was available in 53 patients, of which 51 were HIV-positive and two were HIV-negative. The history of initiation of antiretroviral therapy at diagnosis was available in 43 patients (38 on treatment, four were not on treatment, and one defaulted treatment). The median CD4 count was 232.50 cells/μL (range: 2–883). The HIV viral load was performed in 43 patients at diagnosis, which was <49 HIV-1 RNA copies/μL in more than half of the patients (58%). Diagnosis was made on lymph node biopsies in 53 patients, with one case diagnosed on a spleen biopsy. Kaposi sarcoma was found on the same tissue biopsy in 13 cases. A bone marrow biopsy was performed in 31 patients. The predominant features noted were a disorganized hypercellular marrow with plasmocytosis.

Conclusion

CD is a rare polyclonal B-cell lymphoproliferative disorder. However, we demonstrated a significant increase in the incidence of HIV-associated multicentric CD over the last decade in our area in South Africa.

Diagnosis and management of Castleman disease

BACKGROUND

Castleman disease is an uncommon lymphoproliferative disorder characterized as either unicentric or multicentric. Unicentric Castleman disease (UCD) is localized and carries an excellent prognosis, whereas multicentric Castleman disease (MCD) is a systemic disease occurring most commonly in the setting of HIV infection and is associated with human herpesvirus 8. MCD has been associated with considerable morbidity and mortality, and the therapeutic landscape for its management continues to evolve.

METHODS

The available medical literature on UCD and MCD was reviewed. The clinical presentation and pathological diagnosis of Castleman disease was reviewed, along with associated disorders such as certain malignancies and autoimmune complications.

RESULTS

Surgical resection remains the standard therapy for UCD, while systemic therapies are required for the management of MCD. Rituximab monotherapy is the mainstay of therapy; however, novel therapies targeting interleukin 6 may represent a treatment option in the near future. Antiviral strategies as well as single-agent and combination chemotherapy with glucocorticoids are established systemic therapies. The management of Castleman disease also requires careful attention to potential concomitant infections, malignancies, and associated syndromes.

CONCLUSIONS

UCD and MCD constitute uncommon but well-defined clinicopathologic entities. Although UCD is typically well controlled with local therapy, MCD continues to pose formidable challenges in management. We address historical chemotherapy-based approaches to this disease as well as recently developed targeted therapies, including rituximab and siltuximab, that have improved the outcome for newly diagnosed patients. Ongoing research into the management of MCD is needed.

Castleman disease

Castleman and Towne described a disease presenting as a mediastinal mass resembling thymoma. It is also known as "giant lymph node hyperplasia", "lymph node hamartoma", "angiofollicular mediastinal lymph node hyperplasia", and "angiomatous lymphoid hyperplasia". The pathogenesis is unknown, but the bulk of evidence points toward faulty immune regulation, resulting in excessive B-lymphocyte and plasma-cell proliferation in lymphatic tissue. In addition to the mediastinal presentation, extrathoracic involvement in the neck, axilla, mesentery, pelvis, pancreas, adrenal gland, and retroperitoneum also have been described. There are 2 major pathologic variations of Castleman disease: (1) hyaline-vascular variant, the most frequent, characterized by small hyaline-vascular follicles and capillary proliferation; and (2) the plasma-cell variant, in which large lymphoid follicles are separated by sheets of plasma cells. The hyaline-vascular cases usually are largely asymptomatic, whereas the less common plasma-cell variant may present with fever, anemia, weight loss, and night sweats, along with polyclonal hypergamma-globulinemia. Castleman disease is a rare lymphoproliferative disorders. Few cases have been described world widely. In this article we reviewed the classification, pathogenesis, pathology, radiological features and up to date treatment with special emphasis on the role of viral stimulation, recent therapeutic modalities and the HIV-associated disease.

HIV-associated multicentric Castleman disease

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

HIV-associated multicentric Castleman disease (HIV MCD) is a rare lymphoproliferative disorder, the incidence of which appears to be increasing in the highly active antiretroviral therapy era. Current knowledge of the disease is limited and this review will discuss what is known about the pathophysiology, diagnosis, management, and prognosis of HIV MCD.

RECENT FINDINGS

HIV MCD has been shown to be associated with infection with human herpesvirus-8. Vascular endothelial growth factor and the cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) are also thought to play a role in the pathogenesis of MCD. Currently, rituximab is often used alone or in combination with chemotherapy for treatment of MCD. Novel monoclonal antibodies targeting IL-6 and the IL-6 receptor are also being studied for the management of this disease.

SUMMARY

Because HIV MCD is an uncommon diagnosis, comprehensive clinical studies have not been done, and understanding of the disease is incomplete. Further studies are needed to make definitive conclusions regarding optimal treatment of HIV MCD.

Castleman's disease: from basic mechanisms to molecular therapeutics

Castleman's disease is a rare lymphoproliferative disorder in which there has been recent progress in elucidating underlying mechanisms with potential therapeutic implications. Unicentric Castleman's disease is an indolent condition that is often treated with local approaches. In contrast, patients with multicentric Castleman's disease (MCD) have a less favorable prognosis and require systemic treatment. Cytotoxic chemotherapy, with its attendant risk for toxicity, has been widely used to treat MCD, with variable efficacy. The discovery of putative etiologic factors and targets in MCD, particularly human herpes virus 8, CD20, and interleukin (IL)-6, has been translated into the use of rituximab and anti-IL-6-based therapy, as well as antiviral agents. In this article, we review the current state of the art of our understanding of Castleman's disease and its treatment and we provide insight into future treatment strategies based on disease biology.

How I treat HIV-associated multicentric Castleman disease

HIV-associated plasmablastic multicentric Castleman disease is an increasingly frequent diagnosis. Kaposi sarcoma herpesvirus is found in the monotypic polyclonal plasmablasts that characterize this disease. Unlike Kaposi sarcoma, the incidence does not correlate with CD4 cell count or use of highly active antiretroviral therapy. It is a relapsing and remitting illness, and diagnostic criteria are emerging that define disease activity based on the presence of a fever and raised C-reactive protein coupled with a list of clinical features. Treatment protocols increasingly stratify therapy according to performance status and organ involvement. I advocate rituximab monotherapy for good performance status patients without organ involvement and rituximab with chemotherapy for more aggressive disease. The success of antiherpesvirus agents in controlling active disease is limited, but valganciclovir may have a role as maintenance therapy in the future.

Castleman disease: an update on classification and the spectrum of associated lesions

Since its initial description, researchers have expanded the spectrum of Castleman disease to include not only the classic and well-recognized hyaline-vascular type, but also the plasma cell type and multicentric types of broader histologic range, including human herpes virus-8-associated Castleman disease. These less common subtypes of Castleman disease are less familiar, and may be under-recognized. Also of practical importance, current authors are restructuring the classification of multicentric Castleman disease to accommodate the emerging pathogenic role of human herpes virus-8 and its association with the recently described plasmablastic variant. In addition to an increased risk of lymphoma, patients with Castleman disease also are at increased risk for other related neoplasms, including Kaposi sarcoma and follicular dendritic cell tumors, which are of prognostic and therapeutic relevance. This review focuses on the histologic diagnosis of Castleman disease, current and emerging concepts in its pathogenesis and classification, and associated histopathologic entities.

AIDS malignancies

Among individuals with HIV-infection, coinfection with oncogenic viruses including EBV, HHV-8, and HPV cause significant cancer-related morbidity and mortality. It is clear that these viruses interact with HIV in unique ways that predispose HIV-infected individuals to malignant diseases. In general, treatment directed specifically against these viruses does not appear to change the natural history of the malignant disease, and once the malignancy develops, if their health permits, HIV-infected patients should be treated using similar treatment protocols to HIV-negative patients. However, for the less frequent HIV-related malignancies, such as PEL, or MCD, optimal treatments are still emerging. For certain AIDS-defining malignancies, it is clear that the widespread access to HAART has significantly decreased the incidence, and improved outcomes. However, for other cancers, such as the HPV-related tumors, the role of HAART is much less clear. Further research into prevention and treatment of these oncogenic virally mediated AIDS-related malignancies is necessary.

Treatment of Castleman's disease

Castleman's disease (CD) was first described in 1954 and further defined in 1956 by Castleman. Since then much has been learned about the heterogeneity of this condition. Subsequently, three pathologic classifications have been developed (hyaline vascular variant, plasma cell variant, and mixed variant) and two clinical classifications (unicentric [unifocal or localized] and multicentric [multifocal or generalized]). The pathology found with the unicentric presentation is most commonly that of the HV variant. It responds well to surgical resection and is associated with a benign course. The multicentric presentation is rarely composed of lymph nodes with HV pathology, but rather with the plasma cell or mixed pathology. This presentation requires systemic therapy and prognosis is guarded. Associated systemic symptoms are common. There is an increased incidence of CD in patients with HIV. The human herpes virus-8 is associated with nearly all of the HIV-associated CD cases and nearly 50% of non-HIV cases. Interleukin (IL)-6 has also been shown to play a significant role in the pathogenesis of the disease. Paraneoplastic and autoimmune entities are not uncommon in the disorder. Variable benefit has been achieved with single agent chemotherapy, combination chemotherapy, interferon (IFN)-alpha, rituximab, anti-IL-6 receptor antibodies, and thalidomide. Patients with CD are at increased risk for developing frank malignant lymphoma.

[Cancer and HIV infection: any association?]

PURPOSE

Morbidity and mortality related to neoplasia are increasing in HIV-infected patients. CURRENT KNOWLEDGE AND KEY-POINTS: The incidence of AIDS opportunistic infections dramatically decreased since the introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Among AIDS-cancers, the incidences of Kaposi sarcoma and of cerebral lymphoma decreased in a same way than AIDS infections but the incidences of systemic non-Hodgkin lymphoma and of cervical cancer decreased less than the others and remain higher than in the general population. This suggests that other factors than the quantitative immune reconstitution could be implicated. The most recent and large studies have also shown a 1.7 to 3 fold increased risk of developing non-AIDS cancers in HIV-infected patients when compared to the general population without significant impact of HAART on incidence curves. These malignancies include Hodgkin disease, lung, anal, head and neck cancers, hemopathies, and conjunctival cancers.

PERSPECTIVES

Epidemiologic survey will help to define priorities in terms of prevention and screening in this specific population and to evaluate interventions which should be systematically proposed (alcohol and tobacco cessation programs, viral coinfection). The own roles of HIV itself and of antiretrovirals as prooncogenic factors need to be assessed.

The aetiology and management of Castleman disease at 50 years: translating pathophysiology to patient care

Fifty years ago, Dr Benjamin Castleman first described the unusual lymphoproliferative disorder that now bears his name. Over the subsequent decades, astute clinical and pathologic observations coupled with clever molecular biologic research have increased our understanding of the aetiology of Castleman disease (CD). This article proposes three broad CD variants based on both distinctive histopathology and clinical behaviour. The pivotal roles of infection with human herpesvirus 8 and interleukin-6 production in the development of CD are emphasized. Finally, the natural history of CD and the myriad of therapeutic options are reviewed in the context of a unified model of CD pathophysiology, and continued areas of uncertainty are discussed.