Bone marrow-derived myeloid progenitors as driver mutation carriers in high- and low-risk Langerhans cell histiocytosis

Yanling Xiao, Astrid G. S. van Halteren, Xin Lei, Jelske Borst, Eline Steenwijk, Tom de Wit, Joanna Grabowska, Rhianne Voogd, Paul Kemps, Jennifer Picarsic, Cor van den Bos, Jannie Borst

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17 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is a myeloid neoplasia, driven by sporadic activating mutations in the MAPK pathway. The misguided myeloid dendritic cell (DC) model proposes that high-risk, multisystem, risk-organ-positive (MS-RO+) LCH results from driver mutation in a bone marrow (BM)-resident multipotent hematopoietic progenitor, while low-risk, MS-RO2 and single-system LCH would result from driver mutation in a circulating or tissue-resident, DC-committed precursor. We have examined the CD34+c-Kit+Flt3+ myeloid progenitor population as potential mutation carrier in all LCH disease manifestations. This population contains oligopotent progenitors ofmonocytes (Mo's)/macrophages (MFs), osteoclasts (OCs), and DCs. CD34+c-Kit+Flt3+ cells from BM of MS-RO+ LCH patients produced Langerhans cell (LC)-like cells in vitro. Both LC-like and DC offspring from this progenitor carried the BRAF mutation, confirming their common origin. In both high- and low-risk LCH patients, CD34+c-Kit+Flt3+ progenitor frequency in blood was higher than in healthy donors. In oneMS-RO+ LCHpatient, CD34+c-Kit+Flt3+ cell frequency in blood and its BRAF-mutated offspring reported response to chemotherapy. CD34+c-Kit+Flt3+ progenitors from blood of both high- and low-risk LCH patients gave rise to DCs and LC-like cells in vitro, but the driver mutation was not easily detectable, likely due to low frequency of mutated progenitors. Mutant BRAF alleles were found in Mo's /MFs, DCs, LC-like cells, and/or OC-like cells in lesions and/or Mo and DCs in blood of multiple low-risk patients.We therefore hypothesize that in both high- and low-risk LCH, the driver mutation is present in a BM-resident myeloid progenitor that can be mobilized to the blood.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)2188-2199
Number of pages12
JournalBlood
Volume136
Issue number19
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 5 Nov 2020

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