Publications

32 Publications visible to you, out of a total of 32

Abstract (Expand)

We describe a Rudin-Osher-Fatemi (ROF) filter based segmentation approach for whole tissue samples, combining floating intensity thresholding and rule-based feature detection. Method is validated against manual counts and compared with two commercial software kits (Tissue Studio 64, Definiens AG, and Halo, Indica Labs) and a straightforward machine-learning approach in a set of 50 test images. Further, the novel method and both commercial packages are applied to a set of 44 whole tissue sections. Outputs are compared with gene expression data available for the same tissue samples. Finally, the ROF based method is applied to 44 expert-specified tumor subregions for testing selection and subsampling strategies. Our method is deterministic, fully automated, externally repeatable, independent on training data and -- in difference to most commercial software kits -- completely documented. Among all tested methods, the novel approach is best correlated with manual count (0.9297). Automated detection of evaluation subregions proved to be fully reliable. Subsampling within tumor subregions is possible with results almost identical to full sampling. Comparison with gene expression data obtained for the same tissue samples reveals only moderate to low correlation levels, thus indicating that image morphometry constitutes an independent source of information about antibody-polarized macrophage occurence and distribution.

Authors: Marcus Wagner, René Hänsel, Sarah Reinke, Julia Richter, Michael Altenbuchinger, Ulf-Dietrich Braumann, Rainer Spang, Markus Löffler, Wolfram Klapper

Date Published: No date defined

Publication Type: Not specified

Human Diseases: diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

Abstract (Expand)

A large set of IHC stained DLBCL specimens is provided together with segmentation masks for different cell populations generated by a reference method for automated image analysis, thus featuring considerable reuse potential. Provided image data comprise a) fluorescence microscopy images of 44 multiple immunohistostained DLBCL tumor subregions, captured at four channels corresponding to CD14, CD163, Pax5 and DAPI; b) cartoon-filtered versions of these images, generated by Rudin-Osher-Fatemi (ROF) denoising; c) an automatically generated mask of the evaluation subregion, based on information from the DAPI channel, and d) automatically generated segmentation masks for macrophages, B-cells and the total of cell nuclei, using information from CD14, CD163, Pax5 and DAPI channels, respectively.

Authors: Marcus Wagner, Sarah Reinke, René Hänsel, Wolfram Klapper, Ulf-Dietrich Braumann

Date Published: 12th Mar 2020

Publication Type: Journal article

Human Diseases: diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

Abstract (Expand)

BACKGROUND: Six cycles of R-CHOP (rituximab plus cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone) are the standard treatment for aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma. In the FLYER trial, we assessed whether four cycles of CHOP plus six applications of rituximab are non-inferior to six cycles of R-CHOP in a population of patients with B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma with favourable prognosis. METHODS: This two-arm, open-label, international, multicentre, prospective, randomised phase 3 non-inferiority trial was done at 138 clinical sites in Denmark, Israel, Italy, Norway, and Germany. We enrolled patients aged 18-60 years, with stage I-II disease, normal serum lactate dehydrogenase concentration, ECOG performance status 0-1, and without bulky disease (maximal tumour diameter <7.5 cm). Randomisation was computer-based and done centrally in a 1:1 ratio using the Pocock minimisation algorithm after stratification for centres, stage (I vs II), and extralymphatic sites (no vs yes). Patients were assigned to receive either six cycles of R-CHOP or four cycles of R-CHOP plus two doses of rituximab. CHOP comprised cyclophosphamide (750 mg/m(2)), doxorubicin (50 mg/m(2)), and vincristine (1.4 mg/m(2), with a maximum total dose of 2 mg), all administered intravenously on day 1, plus oral prednisone or prednisolone at the discretion of the investigator (100 mg) administered on days 1-5. Rituximab was given at a dose of 375 mg/m(2) of body surface area. Cycles were repeated every 21 days. No radiotherapy was planned except for testicular lymphoma treatment. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival after 3 years. The primary analysis was done in the intention-to-treat population. Safety was assessed in all patients who received at least one dose of assigned treatment. A non-inferiority margin of -5.5% was chosen. The trial, which is completed, was prospectively registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT00278421. FINDINGS: Between Dec 2, 2005, and Oct 7, 2016, 592 patients were enrolled, of whom 295 patients were randomly assigned to receive six cycles of R-CHOP and 297 were assigned to receive four cycles of R-CHOP plus two doses of rituximab. Four patients in the four-cycles group withdrew informed consent before the start of treatment, so 588 patients were included in the intention-to-treat analysis. After a median follow-up of 66 months (IQR 42-100), 3-year progression-free survival of patients who had four cycles of R-CHOP plus two doses of rituximab was 96% (95% CI 94-99), which was 3% better (lower limit of the one-sided 95% CI for the difference was 0%) than six cycles of R-CHOP, demonstrating the non-inferiority of the four-cycles regimen. 294 haematological and 1036 non-haematological adverse events were documented in the four-cycles group compared with 426 haematological and 1280 non-haematological adverse events in the six-cycles group. Two patients, both in the six-cycles group, died during study therapy. INTERPRETATION: In young patients with aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma and favourable prognosis, four cycles of R-CHOP is non-inferior to six cycles of R-CHOP, with relevant reduction of toxic effects. Thus, chemotherapy can be reduced without compromising outcomes in this population. FUNDING: Deutsche Krebshilfe.

Authors: V. Poeschel, G. Held, M. Ziepert, M. Witzens-Harig, H. Holte, L. Thurner, P. Borchmann, A. Viardot, M. Soekler, U. Keller, C. Schmidt, L. Truemper, R. Mahlberg, R. Marks, H. G. Hoeffkes, B. Metzner, J. Dierlamm, N. Frickhofen, M. Haenel, A. Neubauer, M. Kneba, F. Merli, A. Tucci, P. de Nully Brown, M. Federico, E. Lengfelder, A. di Rocco, R. Trappe, A. Rosenwald, C. Berdel, M. Maisenhoelder, O. Shpilberg, J. Amam, K. Christofyllakis, F. Hartmann, N. Murawski, S. Stilgenbauer, M. Nickelsen, G. Wulf, B. Glass, N. Schmitz, B. Altmann, M. Loeffler, M. Pfreundschuh

Date Published: 21st Dec 2019

Publication Type: Journal article

Human Diseases: lymphoma, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

Abstract (Expand)

BACKGROUND: Germinal center-derived B cell lymphomas are tumors of the lymphoid tissues representing one of the most heterogeneous malignancies. Here we characterize the variety of transcriptomic phenotypes of this disease based on 873 biopsy specimens collected in the German Cancer Aid MMML (Molecular Mechanisms in Malignant Lymphoma) consortium. They include diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL), follicular lymphoma (FL), Burkitt's lymphoma, mixed FL/DLBCL lymphomas, primary mediastinal large B cell lymphoma, multiple myeloma, IRF4-rearranged large cell lymphoma, MYC-negative Burkitt-like lymphoma with chr. 11q aberration and mantle cell lymphoma. METHODS: We apply self-organizing map (SOM) machine learning to microarray-derived expression data to generate a holistic view on the transcriptome landscape of lymphomas, to describe the multidimensional nature of gene regulation and to pursue a modular view on co-expression. Expression data were complemented by pathological, genetic and clinical characteristics. RESULTS: We present a transcriptome map of B cell lymphomas that allows visual comparison between the SOM portraits of different lymphoma strata and individual cases. It decomposes into one dozen modules of co-expressed genes related to different functional categories, to genetic defects and to the pathogenesis of lymphomas. On a molecular level, this disease rather forms a continuum of expression states than clearly separated phenotypes. We introduced the concept of combinatorial pattern types (PATs) that stratifies the lymphomas into nine PAT groups and, on a coarser level, into five prominent cancer hallmark types with proliferation, inflammation and stroma signatures. Inflammation signatures in combination with healthy B cell and tonsil characteristics associate with better overall survival rates, while proliferation in combination with inflammation and plasma cell characteristics worsens it. A phenotypic similarity tree is presented that reveals possible progression paths along the transcriptional dimensions. Our analysis provided a novel look on the transition range between FL and DLBCL, on DLBCL with poor prognosis showing expression patterns resembling that of Burkitt's lymphoma and particularly on 'double-hit' MYC and BCL2 transformed lymphomas. CONCLUSIONS: The transcriptome map provides a tool that aggregates, refines and visualizes the data collected in the MMML study and interprets them in the light of previous knowledge to provide orientation and support in current and future studies on lymphomas and on other cancer entities.

Authors: H. Loeffler-Wirth, M. Kreuz, L. Hopp, A. Arakelyan, A. Haake, S. B. Cogliatti, A. C. Feller, M. L. Hansmann, D. Lenze, P. Moller, H. K. Muller-Hermelink, E. Fortenbacher, E. Willscher, G. Ott, A. Rosenwald, C. Pott, C. Schwaenen, H. Trautmann, S. Wessendorf, H. Stein, M. Szczepanowski, L. Trumper, M. Hummel, W. Klapper, R. Siebert, M. Loeffler, H. Binder

Date Published: 30th Apr 2019

Publication Type: Not specified

Human Diseases: B-cell lymphoma, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, follicular lymphoma, Burkitt lymphoma

Abstract (Expand)

Purpose Overall survival (OS) is the definitive and best-established primary efficacy end point to evaluate diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) therapies, but it requires prolonged follow-up. An earlier end point assessed post-treatment would expedite clinical trial conduct and accelerate patient access to effective new therapies. Our objective was to formally evaluate progression-free survival (PFS) and PFS at 24 months (PFS24) as surrogate end points for OS in first-line DLBCL. Patients and Methods Individual patient data were analyzed from 7,507 patients from 13 multicenter randomized controlled trials of active treatment in previously untreated DLBCL, published after 2002, with sufficient PFS data to predict treatment effects on OS. Trial-level surrogacy examining the correlation of treatment effect estimates of PFS/PFS24 and OS was evaluated using both linear regression ( R(2)WLS) and Copula bivariable ( R(2)Copula) models. Prespecified criteria for surrogacy required either R(2)WLS or R(2)Copula >/= 0.80 and neither < 0.7, with lower-bound 95% CI > 0.60. Results Trial-level surrogacy for PFS was strong ( R(2)WLS = 0.83; R(2)Copula = 0.85) and met the predefined criteria for surrogacy. At the patient level, PFS strongly correlated with OS. The surrogate threshold effect had a hazard ratio of 0.89. Surrogacy was consistent across comparisons with or without rituximab and with rituximab maintenance trials. Trial-level surrogacy for PFS24 was relatively strong ( R(2)WLS = 0.77; R(2)Copula = 0.78) but did not meet prespecified criteria. At the patient level, PFS24 significantly correlated with OS. The surrogate threshold effect had an odds ratio of 1.51. Conclusion This large pooled analysis of individual patient data supports PFS as a surrogate end point for OS in future randomized controlled trials evaluating chemoimmunotherapy in DLBCL. Use of this end point may expedite therapeutic development with the intent of bringing novel therapies to this patient population years before OS results are mature.

Authors: Q. Shi, N. Schmitz, F. S. Ou, J. G. Dixon, D. Cunningham, M. Pfreundschuh, J. F. Seymour, U. Jaeger, T. M. Habermann, C. Haioun, H. Tilly, H. Ghesquieres, F. Merli, M. Ziepert, R. Herbrecht, J. Flament, T. Fu, B. Coiffier, C. R. Flowers

Date Published: 1st Sep 2018

Publication Type: Not specified

Human Diseases: diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

Abstract (Expand)

Background: Patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma treated with first-line anthracycline-based immunochemotherapy and remaining in remission at 2 years have excellent outcomes. This study assessed overall survival (OS) stratified by progression-free survival (PFS) at 24 months (PFS24) using individual patient data from patients with DLBCL enrolled in multi-center, international randomized clinical trials as part of the Surrogate Endpoint for Aggressive Lymphoma (SEAL) Collaboration. Patients and methods: PFS24 was defined as being alive and PFS24 after study entry. OS from PFS24 was defined as time from identified PFS24 status until death due to any cause. OS was compared with each patient's age-, sex-, and country-matched general population using expected survival and standardized mortality ratios (SMRs). Results: A total of 5853 patients enrolled in trials in the SEAL database received rituximab as part of induction therapy and were included in this analysis. The median age was 62 years (range 18-92), and 56% were greater than 60 years of age. At a median follow-up of 4.4 years, 1337 patients (23%) had disease progression, 1489 (25%) had died, and 5101 had sufficient follow-up to evaluate PFS24. A total of 1423 assessable patients failed to achieve PFS24 with a median OS of 7.2 months (95% CI 6.8-8.1) after progression; 5-year OS after progression was 19% and SMR was 32.1 (95% CI 30.0-34.4). A total of 3678 patients achieved PFS24; SMR after achieving PFS24 was 1.22 (95% CI 1.09-1.37). The observed OS versus expected OS at 3, 5, and 7 years after achieving PFS24 was 93.1% versus 94.4%, 87.6% versus 89.5%, and 80.0% versus 83.7%, respectively. Conclusion: Patients treated with rituximab containing anthracycline-based immunochemotherapy on clinical trials who are alive without progression at 24 months from the onset of initial therapy have excellent outcomes with survival that is marginally lower but clinically indistinguishable from the age-, sex-, and country-matched background population for 7 years after achieving PFS24.

Authors: M. J. Maurer, T. M. Habermann, Q. Shi, N. Schmitz, D. Cunningham, M. Pfreundschuh, J. F. Seymour, U. Jaeger, C. Haioun, H. Tilly, H. Ghesquieres, F. Merli, M. Ziepert, R. Herbrecht, J. Flament, T. Fu, C. R. Flowers, B. Coiffier

Date Published: 1st Aug 2018

Publication Type: Not specified

Human Diseases: diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

Abstract (Expand)

Diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL), the most common lymphoid malignancy in adults, is a clinically and genetically heterogeneous disease that is further classified into transcriptionally defined activated B cell (ABC) and germinal center B cell (GCB) subtypes. We carried out a comprehensive genetic analysis of 304 primary DLBCLs and identified low-frequency alterations, captured recurrent mutations, somatic copy number alterations, and structural variants, and defined coordinate signatures in patients with available outcome data. We integrated these genetic drivers using consensus clustering and identified five robust DLBCL subsets, including a previously unrecognized group of low-risk ABC-DLBCLs of extrafollicular/marginal zone origin; two distinct subsets of GCB-DLBCLs with different outcomes and targetable alterations; and an ABC/GCB-independent group with biallelic inactivation of TP53, CDKN2A loss, and associated genomic instability. The genetic features of the newly characterized subsets, their mutational signatures, and the temporal ordering of identified alterations provide new insights into DLBCL pathogenesis. The coordinate genetic signatures also predict outcome independent of the clinical International Prognostic Index and suggest new combination treatment strategies. More broadly, our results provide a roadmap for an actionable DLBCL classification.

Authors: B. Chapuy, C. Stewart, A. J. Dunford, J. Kim, A. Kamburov, R. A. Redd, M. S. Lawrence, M. G. M. Roemer, A. J. Li, M. Ziepert, A. M. Staiger, J. A. Wala, M. D. Ducar, I. Leshchiner, E. Rheinbay, A. Taylor-Weiner, C. A. Coughlin, J. M. Hess, C. S. Pedamallu, D. Livitz, D. Rosebrock, M. Rosenberg, A. A. Tracy, H. Horn, P. van Hummelen, A. L. Feldman, B. K. Link, A. J. Novak, J. R. Cerhan, T. M. Habermann, R. Siebert, A. Rosenwald, A. R. Thorner, M. L. Meyerson, T. R. Golub, R. Beroukhim, G. G. Wulf, G. Ott, S. J. Rodig, S. Monti, D. S. Neuberg, M. Loeffler, M. Pfreundschuh, L. Trumper, G. Getz, M. A. Shipp

Date Published: 2nd May 2018

Publication Type: Not specified

Human Diseases: diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

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