Cerhan, James R.

Abstract Introduction T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia (T-PLL) is a rare mature T-Cell malignancy typically associated with aggressive clinical course. Leukemic T-cells demonstrate post-thymic T-cell phenotypes (Tdt-, CD1a-, CD5+, CD2+ and CD7+) and commonly are CD4+/CD8- T-cells, but co-expression of CD4+/CD8+ or CD8+/CD4- have also been observed. Rearrangement of chromosome 14 involving TCL1 locus is the cornerstone for T-PLL diagnosis which leads to overexpression of oncogene TCL1. As a binding partner for TCL1, AKT expression correlates with worse prognosis. Despite advances in identification of novel mutations, therapeutic option is limited with most patients having very short survival. Herein, we performed a detailed analysis of specific T-cell subsets affected in T-PLL and a comprehensive genomic analysis by whole exome sequencing (WES) and RNA sequencing. We also explored the preclinical efficacy of targeting AKT activation by AKT inhibitor MK2206 on leukemic T-cells isolated from T-PLL patients. Methods T-PLL leukemic cells were isolated from blood or marrow samples of T-PLL patients (n=9) and were tested for involved T-cell subsets by multicolor flow cytometric analysis. Leukemic T-cells were treated with escalating doses of MK2206 (0 to 10 µM) for about 80 hours and were assessed for their apoptosis levels using Annexin V flow cytometric analysis. Whole exome sequencing (WES) and RNA sequencing were conducted using genomic DNA and RNA isolated from purified leukemic T cells from T-PLL patients. Results Phenotypic analysis of T-cell subsets in T-PLL patients showed that leukemic T-cells in 4 untreated T-PLL patients are consistent with naïve T-cell phenotype (CD45RA+, CD45RO-, CCR7+). Leukemic T-cells in 3 of the untreated patients and in 2 of the treated patients have central memory T (CD45RA-, CD45RO+, CCR7+) and effector memory T phenotypes (CD45RA-, CD45RO+,CCR7-) respectively. MK2206 treatment was able to induce dose-dependent apoptosis on the isolated PBMC (containing > 90% leukemic T-cells) of T-PLL patients (n=4) (IC50: 5 µM). FISH analysis found a rearrangement of TCL1 locus on chromosome 14 in all T-PLL cases (n=9). Three cases have also been detected to have del (11q) involving ATM locus and one patient has both del(11q) and del(17p). Subsequent WES (n=7) and RNA sequencing (n=6) analysis revealed recently reported mutations in ATM (frame shift mutation and early stop mutation W579*) in 2 cases, JAK3 (M511I) in 2 cases and STAT5B (T628S and N642H) in 2 cases. Importantly, novel somatic mutations in gene IKZF1 (N159S), NTRK1 (R33W), AP2A2 (P514L), HDAC8 (I115R), RARB (G90W) and TNIP2 (K104Q) were detected by WES. Mutations in EML4 (L548W and F304S) and VAV3 (C282Y and splice site mutation) were also identified in 2 different T-PLL cases. RNA sequencing revealed several fusion transcripts resulting in early stop of several different genes including PTPRT, L3MBTL1, UCKL1 in one T-PLL case. Conclusion T-PLL leukemic T-cells are consistent with either naïve or central memory T-cell subsets in untreated patients. The AKT inhibitor MK-2206 was capable of inducing apoptosis and could be a potential therapeutic agent for T-PLL patients. In addition, we detected known mutations in ATM and JAK-STAT pathways. Novel mutations in genes involving DNA binding and chromatin remodeling (IKZF1, HDAC8) or kinase signal pathway (NTRK1, TNIP2, VAV3, EML4) were uncovered. These results suggest that further therapeutic approaches could be developed to target DNA binding factors or JAK-STAT or AKT-TCL1 signal pathway with an ultimate goal to improve survival of T-PLL patients. Disclosures Off Label Use: Off label use of MK2206: MK-2206 is an AKT inhibitor obtained from Selleck Chemicals and is used to treat leukemic cells in vitro to test the leukemic sensitivity to AKT inhibition. .

Abstract Abstract 684 Background. Obesity has been associated with an increased risk of developing of lymphoma, particularly DLBCL. Genetic variation in several energy balance genes, including leptin (LEP), its receptor LEPR, ghrelin (GHRL) and neuropeptide Y (NPY) have been shown to modulate risk of lymphoma, although their impact on survival is not known. In contrast, recent studies suggest that patients either overweight (Body Mass Index (BMI), 25 to<30 kg/m2) or obese (≥30 kg/m2) may have a superior prognosis in DLBCL, although its impact in FL and in the current treatment era is not known. We evaluated the association of BMI at the time of diagnosis, 2 years prior to diagnosis and at ages 18, 35 and 50 years, along with germline genetic variation in selected energy balance genes with event-free (EFS) and overall (OS) survival in DLBCL and FL. Methods. We evaluated these associations in a prospective cohort of newly diagnosed DLBCL (N=764) and FL (N=649) patients enrolled at the Mayo Clinic and University of Iowa from 2002–2009 as part of the Molecular Epidemiology Resource. Peripheral blood DNA, clinical data and self-reported historical weights were collected at enrollment. Patients received standard disease treatment strategies, and were systematically followed for disease progression, re-treatment, and death. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were genotyped as part of a custom Illumina iSelect panel. The most prevalent homozygous genotype was used as the reference group, and each SNP was modeled as having a log-additive effect in the regression model. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the association of the obesity measures and SNPs with outcome, adjusted for treatment class and subtype specific prognostic factors (IPI, FLIPI). Results. For DLBCL patients (median age 63 years, range 18–92) the median follow-up was 47 months (range 0–101); 58% had an IPI 0–1 risk disease; and 87% received immunochemotherapy. For FL patients (median age 60 years, range 25–94), the median follow-up was 60 months (range 11–110); 24% had FLIPI score 3–5; and main initial treatments were observation (32%), rituximab (R)-monotherapy (12%), CVP +/−R (19%), and anthracycline +/−R (22%). The main results for BMI and prognosis are reported in the Table. For DLBCL, obese patients at diagnosis had better EFS and OS; this association was weaker for BMI at age 50 and 35 years. In contrast, for FL, overweight and obese patients at diagnosis had a poorer EFS and OS, and this was also observed for BMIs two years before diagnosis and at ages 50 and 35 years. In FL, the LEP SNP rs2167270 was associated with inferior EFS (HR=1.25; 95%CI 1.05–1.49) and OS (HR=1.28; 95%CI 0.90–1.83). The NPYSNP rs16147 was associated with inferior FL OS (HR=1.50; 95%CI 1.03–2.17) but was not associated with EFS. None of the energy balance and metabolism SNPs were associated with DLBCL EFS or OS. Conclusions. Higher BMI prior to and at diagnosis, as well as SNPs in LEP and NPY,were significantly associated with FL prognosis, with inferior outcomes in overweight and obese patients. These novel findings in the modern treatment era suggest an important role of obesity pathways in FL prognosis. In DLBCL, we confirm the recent findings of improved survival in DLBCL in obese patients, and extend this to the modern treatment era and BMI earlier in life. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Abstract Abstract 443 Background: MYC translocations have been reported to have inferior outcome in aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphomas. Here we present MYC translocation prevalence and outcome from two cohorts of newly diagnosed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) patients treated in the chemotherapy (C) and immunochemotherapy (IC) eras. Methods: Tissue microarrays were created from 302 newly diagnosed DLBCL patients evaluated at the Mayo Clinic with availabel paraffin tissue. 233 DLBCL patients first diagnosed from March 1986-July 2001 were retrospectively identified based on a diagnosis of DLBCL and treatment with anthracycline-based chemotherapy. 69 DLBCL patients diagnosed from March 2002-October 2005 and treated with immunochemotherapy were prospectively enrolled in the University of Iowa / Mayo Clinic Lymphoma SPORE Molecular Epidemiology Resource. Central pathology review was performed on all samples to confirm the diagnosis of DLBCL. Interphase FISH was performed using a breakapart strategy for MYC and BCL6 gene regions and a dual fusion strategy for t(14;18)(IGH&/BCL2). Results: Chemotherapy (C) era patients were primarily treated with CHOP (88%); immunochemotherapy (IC) era patients were all treated with an R-CHOP based regimen. The median age at diagnosis was 65 years (range, 22-92) for C patients and 65 years (range, 20-82) for IC patients. Median follow-up for C patients was 11.3 years (range, 2.7-21.3) with 145 (62%) deaths; for IC patients, the median follow-up was 5.0 years (range, 2.1-6.4) with 17 deaths (25%). FISH was successful in 195 of 302 patients (65%). MYC translocations were identified in 6 of 141 C patients (4%) and 3 of 54 IC patients (6%). MYC translocations were associated with inferior overall survival in the C patients (p=0.001), the IC patients (p=0.04), and in the combined group (p≤0.001). Median survival of patients with MYC translocations was 19 months and 16 months for C and IC respectively, compared to 112 months (C) and unreached (IC) for DLBCL patients without MYC translocations. 4 of the 9 MYC translocation patients had a double hit (2 with both MYC and BCL2 translocations and 2 with translocations of MYC, BCL2, and BCL6). Associations of MYC and outcome remained significant in all patients after adjusting for treatment and IPI (p<0.05). Conclusions: MYC translocations are present in approximately 5% of DLBCL patients and are associated with poor outcome in patients treated with C or IC. New treatment approaches are needed for DLBCL patients with MYC translocations. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Abstract Abstract 3637 Background: A recent large genome-wide association study confirmed the important role of the major histocompatibility complex in classical Hodgkin Lymphoma (cHL) susceptibility (rs6903608), but also identified significant associations with genetic variants outside of the HLA region at chromosomal regions 2p16.1 (REL, rs1432295), 8q24.21 (PVT1, rs2608053, rs2019960), and 10p14 (GATA3, rs501764, rs485411). These single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are localized in or near important genes involved in lymphoma pathogenesis: REL, which encodes for c-rel, is a member of NFkB pathway; PVT1, which is downstream of the MYC locus, encodes for non-coding microRNAs, some of which have oncogenic properties; and GATA3, which is a critical transcriptional factor for priming lymphoid T-cells for Th2 phenotype, is aberrantly expressed in HL. We investigated whether these six SNPs described in cHL etiology also influence the outcome of newly diagnosed cHL patients in two independent cohorts. Patients and Methods: The first cohort consisted of 342 cHL patients from the Groupe d'Etude des Lymphomes de l'Adulte (GELA) who were prospectively enrolled between 1998 and 2002. The second cohort consisted of 259 patients prospectively enrolled in the University of Iowa/Mayo Clinic SPORE Molecular Epidemiology Resource (MER). DNA for genotyping was extracted from a blood samples collected at diagnosis, and genotyping was conducted using Taqman technology (ABI Prism 7000, Applied Biosystems) for HLA-DRA, PVT1, GATA3 and PCR-based restriction fragment length polymorphism for REL in GELA cohort and Illumina iSelect for the 6 SNPs in MER cohort. Both cohorts were followed for disease progression, re-treatment and death. In the GELA series, the median age was 32 years (range, 15–93), 57% were male, and 72% had an Ann Arbor stage I–II. Histology was nodular sclerosis in 84%, and 29% of available cases (n=40/140) were EBV positive. In the MER series, the median age was 38 years (range, 18–89), 53% were male, and 53% had an Ann Arbor stage I-II. Nodular sclerosis was the most common subtype (62%) and 23 of 115 available cases were EBV positive (20%). The International Prognostic Score (IPS) was 0–1 in 46% and 52% of GELA and MER patients, respectively. ABVD regimen was used for 60% and 88% of the GELA and MER patients, respectively. The 5-year progression free survival (PFS) was 83% and 75% in GELA and MER cohorts, respectively. We estimated the prognostic value of each individual SNP for PFS for allelic and genotypic (dominant and recessive) modes of transmission in each series. In order to increase power, we then performed a meta-analysis of the two studies. Results: Consistent with prior reports, the minor allele frequencies for REL (rs1432295), HLA-DRA (rs6903608), PVT1 (rs2608053), PVT1 (rs2019960), GATA3 (rs501764) and GATA3 (rs485411) were 0.44, 0.50, 0.43, 0.29, 0.22, 0.28 in the GELA and 0.46, 0.41, 0.46, 0.27, 0.25, 0.31 in the MER series, respectively. In GELA, GATA3 (rs501767) was associated with PFS in the ordinal model (HR=1.66, 95%CI 1.11–2.49, P=.01), while there were suggestive associations for PVT1 (rs2608053) (HR=1.76, 95%CI 0.95–3.26, P=.07) and REL (rs1432295) (HR=0.63, 95%CI 0.37–1.06, P=.08) in the dominant model. In the MER, PVT1 (rs2608053) was associated with PFS in the ordinal model (HR=1.42, 95%CI 0.99–2.03, P=.06), while there was a suggestive association with HLA-DRA (rs6903608) in the dominant model (HR=0.64, 95%CI 0.39–1.05, P=.08) for whole cohort but also for EBV negative cHL (HR=0.41, 95%CI 0.17–0.99, P=.05). In a meta-analysis of the two studies, PVT1 (rs2608053) was significantly associated with PFS in the ordinal (HR=1.34, 95%CI 1.04–1.73, P=.02) and the dominant (HR=1.88, 95%CI 1.20–2.95, P=.006) models. Further adjustment for IPS had minimal impact on these associations (ordinal HR=1.30, 95%CI 1.00–1.70; dominant HR=1.78, 95%CI 1.13–2.83). Patients with PVT1(rs2608053) GG, GA, AA genotypes had a 5-year PFS rate of 83%, 74% and 73% in GELA and 86%, 70%, and 73% in the MER, respectively. Conclusions: The non-HLA cHL susceptibility locus PVT1 (rs2608053) was associated with PFS in two independent cohorts of cHL cases, and after adjustment for the IPS. While associations with GATA3 and REL were only observed in one of the studies, their evaluation in other studies is warranted. Functional studies of PVT1 in cHL pathogenesis should be pursued. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Abstract Abstract 3702 Background: Both drug choice and delivered dose of intended treatment potentially influence outcome in patients treated for follicular lymphoma (FL). Historically, observational studies have solely evaluated drug choice. The National LymphoCare Study (NLCS) is a prospective, observational study that enrolled >2700 patients with FL in the United States between 2004 and 2007. We report on measures of delivered dose and its impact on outcomes for the most common first-line regimens. Methods: All evaluable patients treated with R-CHOP, R-CVP, or R-fludarabine (R-Flu)–containing regimens in the NLCS were included, except those with FL plus other lymphoma histology, non-FL histology, or those who progressed before first treatment or before being assigned to watchful waiting. Associations between baseline factors and choice of treatment (R-CHOP, R-CVP, or R- Flu–containing regimen), number of cycles received (≤4, 5–6, 7+), and completion of therapy were assessed using the Pearson chi-square test. Factors associated with risk of early discontinuation were assessed using logistic regression, and a generalized logits model was used to assess the relationship between baseline factors and number of cycles received. Kaplan-Meier methods and the log-rank test were used to estimate progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and time to next treatment. Results: Among 1165 evaluable patients, a total of 648 received R-CHOP, 296 received R-CVP, and 221 received R-Flu combinations. Patient characteristics were similar between groups with the following exceptions: patients receiving R-CHOP were more likely to have grade 3 FL (38% vs 11% for R-CVP and 13% for R-Flu), and patients receiving R-CVP were older (25% ≥75 vs 8% for R-CHOP and 13% for R-Flu) and had higher Follicular Lymphoma International Prognostic Index (FLIPI) risk scores (50% poor FLIPI vs 41% for R-CHOP and 36% for R-Flu). The distribution of delivered cycles demonstrated a high degree of compliance with published regimens, with most patients receiving ≥5 cycles of treatment (R-CHOP 86%, R-CVP 81%, R- Flu 67%, P<.0001). The median cycle length was 21 days for both R-CHOP and R-CVP, and 29 days for the R-Flu regimens. Cycle intensity, defined as the expected cycle length (21 days for R-CHOP and R-CVP, and 28 days for R-Flu) divided by the actual cycle length, was between 0.9 and 1.1 for 68% of R-CHOP patients, 75% of R-CVP patients, and 45% of R-Flu patients. The percentage of patients with longer-than-expected time between cycles (cycle intensity <0.9) was similar for the 3 treatment groups; however, R-Flu patients were more likely to have shorter-than-expected time between cycles (24% vs 4% for R-CHOP and 3% for R-CVP). We sought to understand the reasons for patients receiving ≤4 cycles. Most patients who received ≤4 cycles were considered to have completed the intended duration of therapy (58% for R-CHOP, 62% R-CVP, and 75% R-Flu); rates of early discontinuation from the intended treatment were significantly less for patients receiving ≥5 cycles. Early discontinuation was associated with age ≥75 years and treatment with R-Flu (particularly in patients with grade 1–2 FL). Toxicity was the most commonly cited reason for early discontinuation (47% for R-CHOP, 46% for R-CVP, and 71% for R-Flu). The higher rate of R-Flu discontinuation due to toxicity is consistent with findings from other studies. Disease progression was rarely cited as the reason for early discontinuation. Time to retreatment was significantly shorter for patients receiving ≤4 cycles for patients receiving R-CHOP and R-CVP compared with patients receiving 5–6 cycles and 7+ cycles (P=.002 and P<.001 respectively; medians not yet reached). Delivery of ≤4 treatment cycles was associated with lower response rates (76% CR/PR vs 90% for 5–6 cycles and 92% for 7+ cycles) and worse PFS and OS, among patients who received R-CVP (all P<.01) but not among other regimens. Conclusions: Most patients with FL receiving chemoimmunotherapy in the NLCS completed ≥5 cycles of treatment. Most who received fewer cycles were considered to have completed therapy, and therapy commonly was given at or above the expected cycle intensity. Strategies to improve dose delivery appear unlikely to impact patient outcomes, except possibly in patients receiving R-CVP. Disclosures: Martin: Genentech: Speakers Bureau. Link:Genentech: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Byrtek:Genentech: Employment. Dawson:Genentech, A Member of the Roche Group: Employment. Friedberg:Genentech: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Cerhan:Genentech: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Flowers:Genentech: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees.

Abstract Abstract 440 Background: Complement plays a central role in innate immunity, and also functions as a regulator of the overall immune response, including T-cell responses. We recently reported that germline genetic variation in C2, C5, C7 and C9 was associated with risk of developing non-Hodgkin lymphoma (Br J Haematol 2009;145:614). Here we evaluate whether complement genes are associated with event-free survival (EFS) in follicular lymphoma. Methods: We genotyped 166 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from 32 complement pathway genes in a prospective cohort study of 115 newly diagnosed follicular lymphoma patients enrolled at the Mayo Clinic from 2002-2005 as part of the Lymphoma SPORE. All patients were systematically followed through 2008 for EFS (defined as disease progression, retreatment, or death due to any cause). Tagging and nsSNPs were selected from HapMap for the genes encoding complement proteins and their key regulators (C1QB, C1QG, C1QR1, C1QTNF7, C1RL, C1S, C2, C3, C3AR1, C4BPA, C4BPB, C5, C5R1, C6, C7, C8B, C9, BF, CFH, CFHL5, CFHR1, CGHR4, CLU, CR1 (CD35), CR2 (CD21), DF, MASP2, MBL2, MCP (CD46), DAF (CD55), CD59 and SERPING1). Cox regression was used to estimate Hazard Ratios (HRs) for individual SNPs with EFS. The most prevalent homozygous genotype was used as the reference group, and each polymorphism was modeled individually as having a log-additive effect in the regression model. For gene-level analyses, we used a principal components based gene-level test. All models were adjusted for sex, FLIPI, follicular grade III, and initial treatment. Results. The median age at diagnosis was 61 years (range, 25-85). 57 (50%) of the patients had an event, at a median follow-up of 59 months (range, 33-73) for living patients. In gene-level analyses, CFH (p=0.004), CD55 (p=0.02), CFHR5 (p=0.02) and CFHR1 (p=0.02) were significant at p<0.05, and these genes had noteworthy q-values after consideration of multiple testing (q=0.04 for CFH and q=0.08 for CD55, CFHR5, and CFHR1). For CFH, 2 of the 11 tagSNPs (rs1329423, HR=0.46, p=0.001; and rs3766404, HR=2.0, p=0.003) were significantly associated with EFS, as was the nsSNP rs1065489 (amino acid change E936D: HR=0.39, p=0.004). For CD55, both tagSNPs (rs4844591, HR=0.58, p=0.03; and rs2564978, HR=0.58, p=0.03) were associated with EFS, as were 3 of 5 tagSNPs from CFHR5 (rs3748557, HR=0.52, p=0.03; rs12092294, HR=1.9, p=0.03; and rs6694672, HR=1.9, p=0.03) and the only tagSNP for CFHR1 (rs436719, HR=0.54, p=0.03). Conclusions. Genetic variation in CFH, CD55, CFHR5, and CFHR1 was associated with EFS in follicular lymphoma after adjustment for clinical variables. These genes are part of a gene cluster at 1q32-q32.1 involved in the regulation of C3. CD55 encodes a membrane complement regulatory protein which can allow tumor cells to evade complement attack. These results are being validated in a second set of SPORE patients. Support: P50 CA97274, R01 CA92153. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Abstract Abstract 140 Background: Peripheral T-cell lymphomas (PTCLs) have poor outcomes, and there is a lack of prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets to guide treatment. We recently proposed that the transcription factor, interferon regulatory factor-4 (IRF4, also called multiple myeloma oncogene-1 [MUM1]), might be oncogenic in PTCLs based on its expression in association with translocations between IRF4 and the T-cell receptor gene, TRA@. IRF4 is a therapeutic target in multiple myeloma, where high expression is a poor prognostic factor. In addition, at least two germline IRF4 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), rs12203592 and rs872071, are associated with IRF4 expression and disease risk and progression in various lymphoid neoplasms. However, the prognostic effects of IRF4/MUM1 expression and IRF4 SNPs in PTCLs are unknown. Methods: Forty seven newly diagnosed PTCL patients with available tissue were identified from the University of Iowa/Mayo Clinic Lymphoma SPORE Molecular Epidemiology Resource. There were 5 anaplastic large cell lymphomas, 14 cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (CTCLs), 6 cytotoxic T-cell lymphomas (cytTCLs: 4 extranodal NK/T-cell and 2 enteropathy type), and 22 PTCLs, not otherwise specified (NOS). Patients were diagnosed between September 2002 and February 2008 and systematically followed through March 2010 for overall survival (OS). Tumor cell IRF4/MUM1 expression was examined by immunohistochemistry on paraffin tissue sections (MUM1p clone; Dako). Positivity was defined as >30% of tumor cells with nuclear staining, as in previous studies. rs12203592 and rs872071 were genotyped in peripheral blood DNA. Cox regression was used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for both IRF4/MUM1 expression and SNPs with OS. Chi-squared tests were used to assess the relationship between IRF4/MUM1 expression and IRF4 SNPs. Results: The median age at diagnosis was 60 years (range, 24–88). At a median follow-up of 62 months (range, 29–89), 22 (47%) of the patients had died. Fifteen (32%) of the 47 T-cell patients had IRF4/MUM1 positive tumors. IRF4/MUM1 positivity was associated with poorer overall survival (HR=4.3; 95% CI: 1.8–10.2; p=0.0008). This association was seen across PTCL subtypes, including PTCL, NOS (HR= 6.5; 95% CI: 1.5–27.7; p=0.01), CTCL (HR=13.4; 95% CI: 1.2–150.1; p=0.03), and cytTCL (HR=5.8; CI: 0.5–65.9; p=0.15). The minor allele (T) in SNP rs12203592 was positively associated with IRF4/MUM1 positivity in a dominant model, with IRF4/MUM1 expression in 60% of patients with CT or TT genotypes compared to 19% of patients with CC genotype (p=0.01). Patients with the CT/TT genotype at rs12203592 also had inferior overall survival (HR=3.7; 95% CI: 1.4–9.5; p=0.007). The rs872071 SNP showed no significant association with either IRF4/MUM1 expression (p=0.38) or overall survival (p=0.71). Conclusions: This study is the first to demonstrate that IRF4/MUM1 expression is poor prognostic factor in PTCLs. This association was observed across PTCL subtypes, including the most common subtype, PTCL, NOS. IRF4/MUM1 expression and poor survival in our patients also were associated with the minor allele (T) in the IRF4 SNP rs12203592; these findings are consistent with previous in vitro data showing the major allele (C) represses IRF4 promoter activity. Interestingly, rs872071 was not associated with IRF4/MUM1 expression or prognosis, similar to findings in multiple myeloma. In contrast, rs872071 is a risk and prognostic factor in chronic lymphocytic leukemia and classical Hodgkin lymphoma, diseases in which IRF4/MUM1 expression has been associated with favorable prognosis. IRF4/MUM1 expression is a poor prognostic factor in PTCLs. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Abstract We previously identified five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at four susceptibility loci for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) in individuals of European ancestry through a large genome-wide association study (GWAS). To further elucidate genetic susceptibility to DLBCL, we sought to validate two loci at 3q13.33 and 3p24.1 that were suggestive in the original GWAS with additional genotyping. In the meta-analysis (5662 cases and 9237 controls) of the four original GWAS discovery scans and three replication studies, the 3q13.33 locus (rs9831894; minor allele frequency [MAF] = 0.40) was associated with DLBCL risk [odds ratio (OR) = 0.83, P = 3.62 × 10−13]. rs9831894 is in linkage disequilibrium (LD) with additional variants that are part of a super-enhancer that physically interacts with promoters of CD86 and ILDR1. In the meta-analysis (5510 cases and 12 817 controls) of the four GWAS discovery scans and four replication studies, the 3p24.1 locus (rs6773363; MAF = 0.45) was also associated with DLBCL risk (OR = 1.20, P = 2.31 × 10−12). This SNP is 29 426-bp upstream of the nearest gene EOMES and in LD with additional SNPs that are part of a highly lineage-specific and tumor-acquired super-enhancer that shows long-range interaction with AZI2 promoter. These loci provide additional evidence for the role of immune function in the etiology of DLBCL, the most common lymphoma subtype.

AbstractBackgroundHuman pegivirus (HPgV) is a single-strand RNA virus belonging to the Flaviviridae. Although no definitive association between HPgV infection and disease has been identified, previous studies have suggested an association of HPgV viremia with risk of lymphomas.MethodsWe conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis, including 1 cohort study and 14 case-control studies, assessing the association of HPgV viremia with adult lymphomas. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using a random-effects model, overall and by geographic region and lymphoma subtype.ResultsThe overall OR for lymphoma was 2.85 (95% CI, 1.98–4.11), with statistically significantly elevated ORs observed in 8 of 15 studies. There was a small amount of heterogeneity among studies (I2 = 28.9%; Q = 18.27, P = .16), and the funnel plot provided no evidence for publication bias. The strongest association with lymphoma risk was observed for studies from Southern Europe (OR, 5.68 [95% CI, 1.98–16.3]), whereas weaker ORs (with 95% CIs) were observed for studies from North America (2.24 [1.76–2.85]), Northern Europe (2.90 [.45–18.7), and the Middle East (2.51 [.87–7.27]), but all of similar magnitude. Participants with HPgV viremia had statistically significantly increased risks (OR [95% CI]) for developing diffuse large B-cell (3.29 [1.63–6.62]), follicular (3.01 [1.95–4.63]), marginal zone (1.90 [1.13–3.18]), and T-cell (2.11 [1.17–3.89]) lymphomas, while the risk for Hodgkin lymphoma (3.53 [.48–25.9]) and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (1.45 [.45–4.66]) were increased but did not achieve statistical significance.ConclusionsThis meta-analysis supports a positive association of HPgV viremia with lymphoma risk, overall and for the major lymphoma subtypes.

AbstractEpidemiologic studies show an increased risk of non‐Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) in patients with autoimmune disease (AD), due to a combination of shared environmental factors and/or genetic factors, or a causative cascade: chronic inflammation/antigen‐stimulation in one disease leads to another. Here we assess shared genetic risk in genome‐wide‐association‐studies (GWAS).Secondary analysis of GWAS of NHL subtypes (chronic lymphocytic leukemia, diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma, follicular lymphoma, and marginal zone lymphoma) and ADs (rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and multiple sclerosis). Shared genetic risk was assessed by (a) description of regional genetic of overlap, (b) polygenic risk score (PRS), (c)"diseasome", (d)meta‐analysis.Descriptive analysis revealed few shared genetic factors between each AD and each NHL subtype. The PRS of ADs were not increased in NHL patients (nor vice versa). In the diseasome, NHLs shared more genetic etiology with ADs than solid cancers (p = .0041). A meta‐analysis (combing AD with NHL) implicated genes of apoptosis and telomere length.This GWAS‐based analysis four NHL subtypes and three ADs revealed few weakly‐associated shared loci, explaining little total risk. This suggests common genetic variation, as assessed by GWAS in these sample sizes, may not be the primary explanation for the link between these ADs and NHLs.