EBV-negative aggressive B-cell lymphomas of donor origin after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: a report of three cases

Post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorders (PTLD) develop as a consequence of iatrogenic immunosuppression, and the majority is associated with EBV. PTLD after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HCT) are rare. Most cases are donor-derived, reflecting immune reconstitution by malignant transformed donor cells, and are EBV-positive. We report three unusual cases of aggressive EBV-negative PTLD of monomorphic type after allo-HCT. All cases were of donor origin and arose with long latency, 4-12 years after HCT. The patients had a history of severe graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) resulting in prolonged immunosuppression before the diagnosis of lymphoma. In one case, the temporal evolution of the malignant clone was analyzed by clone-specific PCR targeting the immunoglobulin heavy chain rearrangement. A tumor-specific product was already detected 3 years before lymphoma development. This indicates that chronic antigenic stimulation and reduced immune surveillance, may promote the outgrowth of premalignant donor-derived clones after acquisition of additional genetic alterations.