Double expressor and double/triple hit status among primary cutaneous diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: a comparison between leg type and not otherwise specified subtypes

Abstract

Primary cutaneous diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (pcDLBCLs) are rare hematological neoplasms. The pcDLBCL category includes primary cutaneous large B-cell lymphoma leg type (pcDLBCL-LT), characterized by a particularly unfavorable outcome, and primary cutaneous large B-cell lymphoma not otherwise specified (pcDLBCL-NOS), a widely debated subentity with a more indolent course. The negative prognostic impact of double expressor status (DE status, given by coexpression of MYC and BCL2) and double hit/triple hit status (DH/TH status, given by translocations of MYC and BCL2 and/or BCL6) in nodal DLBCL is well known; however, no unanimous conclusions regarding relevance of DE and DH/TH status have been reached in pcDLBCL. Therefore, our purpose has been to investigate the presence and prognostic relevance of DE and DH/TH status among a retrospective multicentric cohort of 16 cases of pcDLBCL-LT and 17 cases of pcDLBCL-NOS. All cases were thoroughly reevaluated, both on a morphological and immunohistochemical level, and tested by means of fluorescence in situ hybridization for MYC, BCL2 and BCL6 rearrangements. DE status was observed in 69% of pcDLBCL-LT cases and in 24% of pcDLBCL-NOS cases; however, it did not impact prognosis in any of the groups examined. Combining molecular results, we highlighted a relevant fraction of DH pcDLBCL cases (three pcDLBCL-LT cases and one pcDLBCL-NOS case) and the very first case of TH pcDLBCL-LT reported to date. All DH cases were characterized by MYC and BCL6 rearrangements. Overall, DH/TH cases represented 15% (5/33) of all pcDLBCLs and were mostly pcDLBCL-LT. DH/TH status and DH status alone were associated with poorer overall survival and disease-specific survival (both p < 0.05) among all pcDLBCLs, without reaching statistical significance in the pcDLBCL-LT and pcDLBCL-NOS groups. In conclusion, MYC, BCL2, and BCL6 cytogenetical testing could be useful in identifying a putative subset of more aggressive pcDLBCLs, although this observation has to be confirmed by further studies.

Keywords: BCL2; BCL6; Double expressor; Double/triple hit; MYC; Primary cutaneous diffuse large B cell lymphoma.