Dasari, Surendra

Abstract Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate a large cohort of gallbladder amyloid cases to determine clinical and morphologic features. Methods Cholecystectomy specimens (N = 118) typed using proteomics-based techniques between 2008 and 2023 were identified. Clinical and morphologic features were reviewed. Results Six amyloid types were identified: ATTR (n = 63, 53.4%), AL (n = 46, 39.0%), AA (n = 4, 3.4%), AApoA1 (n = 2, 1.7%), ALECT2 (n = 2, 1.7%), and AEFEMP1 (n = 1, 0.8%). Amyloidogenic mutations were detected in 3 ATTR cases and 2 AApoA1 cases. Morphologic review (n = 26) revealed perimuscular vessel involvement in all cases. Amyloidosis was an unexpected diagnosis first made on the cholecystectomy specimen in half of the patients with clinical information (n = 10). All 9 patients with follow-up had evidence of systemic disease. In 2 patients, cholecystic involvement was initially missed and only retrospectively identified after the diagnosis of cardiac amyloidosis. Conclusions In patients with clinical data, amyloidosis was often unexpected, the gallbladder was commonly the first tissue sampled with amyloidosis, and all patients had systemic disease. Thorough review of cholecystectomy specimens with careful inspection of perimuscular vessels, coupled with a low threshold for ordering Congo red stain in elderly individuals and amyloid typing using a robust method such as proteomics, can prevent a delay in amyloid diagnosis and management.

Abstract Erdheim-Chester disease (ECD) is a rare systemic histiocytic neoplasm, with cardiac morbidities, including cardiovascular (CV) risk factors and cardiac conditions, playing a significant yet poorly understood role in the disease burden. This study evaluated the prevalence, characteristics, and prognosis of ECD in patients with (ECD-C) and without cardiac involvement (ECD-noC) and compared the burden of cardiac morbidities with matched controls. Patients diagnosed with ECD between 1990 and 2021 at a tertiary center were included, with cardiac involvement centrally assessed using radiographic studies. Cardiac morbidities were compared with a control group without ECD, matched for age, sex, body mass index, and smoking history. Among 104 patients with ECD, 39 (37%) had cardiac involvement. Patients with ECD-C had higher rates of hypertension (67% vs 46%), hyperlipidemia (67% vs 40%), heart failure (36% vs 8%), and pericardial effusion (28% vs 2%) than those with ECD-noC. Compared with the matched non-ECD cohort, patients with ECD had higher prevalence of coronary artery disease (20% vs 7%), heart failure (18% vs 4%), and antihypertensive drug use (55% vs 40%). Notably, patients with ECD-C had inferior progression-free survival (PFS) from frontline therapy compared with patients with ECD-noC (5-year PFS, 28.3% vs 70.5%). These findings highlight the burden of CV risk factors and cardiac conditions in ECD, even without a clinical diagnosis of ECD-C. Importantly, this cardiac morbidity burden is substantial for patients with ECD-C compared with ECD-noC. Our findings highlight the need for comprehensive cardiac risk assessment and management strategies to improve patient outcomes.

Abstract Taxanes are frontline chemotherapeutics that stabilize microtubules, induce mitotic arrest, and drive tumor remission. However, their off-target effects in healthy tissues, most notably cutaneous axon degeneration underlying chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN), remain poorly understood. Here, we show that paclitaxel induces microtubule fasciculation in epidermal keratinocytes through the mitotic kinesin Eg5, thereby initiating CIPN. Mechanistically, paclitaxel enhances Eg5-dependent fasciculation of detyrosinated (stabilized) microtubules, which constrict and breach the nuclear lamina. This deformation triggers tension-dependent NADPH oxidase-mediated nuclear ROS (X-ROS) formation upstream of mmp13 transcription, a pathway we previously demonstrated drives sensory axon degeneration. Employing a cross-species framework spanning zebrafish, mice, human skin biopsies, and a breast adenocarcinoma cell line, we uncover a conserved paclitaxel–Eg5 mechanism leading to fasciculation of stable microtubules in both healthy epidermis and cancer cells. These findings highlight the dualistic nature of paclitaxel action and underscore the challenge of preserving anticancer efficacy while preventing neurotoxic side effects.

Abstract Twenty percent of patients with follicular lymphoma relapse early with poor outcomes; however, the molecular mechanisms underlying this aggressive behavior are unknown. Using a multiomic approach, we show that patients with follicular lymphoma with elevated IRF4 expression (IRF4hi) have increased transformation risk, dysregulated immune signaling, and a suppressive tumor microenvironment. Loss- and gain-of-function experiments in IRF4hi lymphoma cells, along with chromatin profiling, demonstrate that IRF4 impairs their interaction with T cells by repressing antigen presentation and co-receptor gene modules while promoting the expression of cytokines that antagonize T-follicular helper cell and regulatory T-cell functions. Additionally, IRF4 rewires tumor metabolism and restricts glucose availability to immune cells. Silencing of IRF4 inhibits tumor cell growth and restores immune surveillance mechanisms, thus representing a promising target for therapy. Our data suggest that IRF4hi lymphoma cells co-opt a developmental mechanism used to exit the germinal center response in promoting a more aggressive cancer via engagement of multiple immune-evasive mechanisms. Significance: We show that IRF4 controls immune and metabolic signaling with functional effects on the cross-talk between B and T cells, resulting in a suppressive immune microenvironment when IRF4 is overexpressed in lymphoma. This underscores the importance of IRF4 as a pivotal therapeutic target to restore antitumor immunosurveillance for IRF4-associated lymphomas.

ABSTRACTBackgroundAdvances in fibril typing by mass spectrometry have improved the accuracy of amyloidosis diagnosis. Dual amyloidogenic proteins have been reported in deposits in sole and multiple different organs.MethodsFive patients with dual amyloidoses were diagnosed between 1995 and 2022 by Congo red staining and fibril typing using the best available methods at the time of evaluation. Sequencing of TTR and GSN genes was performed. Literature search identified 46 additional cases.ResultsThree patients exhibited Waldenström macroglobulinemia‐associated AL (n = 3) amyloidoses in conjunction with ATTRwt or AGel amyloidosis; two patients featured AL/ATTRwt and AA/ATTRwt amyloidoses. One patient demonstrated dual amyloidoses within one anatomical site; three patients featured two amyloidosis types at different anatomical sites; and one patient had dual amyloid deposits in a single anatomical site along with different sites. The time interval between diagnoses was 0–288 months, with the heart and kidneys being the most affected organs.ConclusionsOur findings underscore the complexity of clinical presentation in amyloidosis, as multiple amyloid types can co‐exist in a single individual and affect various anatomical sites. Accurate assessment of the clinical phenotype and thorough amyloid fibril typing from the target organs are essential for precise diagnosis and tailored treatment. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00898235

Abstract Objectives We aimed to assess the expression of biomarkers of response to antibody-drug conjugates (TROP2 and nectin-4) and immune microenvironment (NKG7, PD-L1, and B7-H3) in penile squamous cell carcinoma (pSCC). Methods Our archive was queried for patients who had a penectomy for pSCC between 2000 and 2022. Primary tumors were immunostained for B7-H3 and NKG7, while metastatic specimens were immunostained for TROP2 and nectin-4. Expression of PD-L1, TROP2, and nectin-4 in primary tumors was previously characterized. H-scores (0-300) were used to quantify expression. Associations between biomarkers, tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), and clinicopathologic and outcome parameters were evaluated. Results For both TROP2 and nectin-4, H-scores within the lymph node metastases were higher compared to those within the primary tumors (mean, 264.5 vs 244.8, P = .0003; mean, 170.6 vs 146.7, P = .05, respectively; 33 paired specimens). For B7-H3 (n = 107), 32.7% of the primary tumors had an H-score of more than 0. In 34.8% of the cases, NKG7 expression was observed in 25% to 50% of the TILs. A significant association was noted between TIL density, B7-H3, NKG7, and PD-L1 expression. Conclusions Therapeutic strategies targeting TROP2 and nectin-4 hold promise for patients with advanced pSCC. The potential of PD-L1, B7-H3, and NKG7 for predicting response to immunomodulatory treatment warrants further research.