Publications by authors named "Martha Quezado"

We report a case of Acanthamoeba infection in an HCT recipient with steroid-refractory GVHD. We highlight the multiple challenges that free-living ameba infections present to the clinician, the clinical laboratory, transplant infectious disease for review, hospital epidemiology if nosocomial transmission is considered, and public health officials, as exposure source identification can be a significant challenge. Transplant physicians should include Acanthamoeba infections in their differential diagnosis of a patient with skin, sinus, lung, and/or brain involvement.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Adult primary leptomeningeal gliomatosis (PLG) is a rare, rapidly progressive and fatal disease characterized by prominent leptomeningeal infiltration by a glial tumor without an identifiable parenchymal mass. The molecular profile of adult PLG has not been well-characterized. We report the clinical, pathological, and molecular findings of six adult PLG patients (five males and one female), median age 58 years.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Olfactory neuroblastoma (ONB), sinonasal undifferentiated carcinoma (SNUC), and sinonasal neuroendocrine carcinoma (SNEC) are rare malignancies arising from the sinonasal tract with limited therapeutic options. The expression of the somatostatin receptor 2 gene (), which is expressed in other neuroendocrine neoplasms and is therapeutically actionable, has been reported in these tumors. Here, we analyzed gene expression and its associations with genomic features, established biomarkers predicting of immune response, and the tumor immune microenvironment in a cohort of ONB, SNUC, and SNEC tumor samples (26, 13, and 8 samples, respectively) from a real-world database.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor (ATRT) is an aggressive, malignant embryonal tumor with dismal long-term survival despite aggressive multimodal therapy. While this tumor typically presents in infancy or early childhood, there are published case reports of adult-onset ATRT. Making prognostic conclusions or therapeutic decisions for this older patient population remains challenging due to the paucity of these reports.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Prophylactic total gastrectomy (PTG) is performed in carriers of CDH1 pathogenic and likely pathogenic (P/LP) variants and is becoming more frequent with broader use of germline genetic testing. There is an unmet need to standardize care and enhance outcomes among patients undergoing surgery for the prevention of gastric cancer.

Methods: This was a retrospective analysis of 150 individuals with germline CDH1 P/LP variants who underwent PTG as part of a prospective natural history study from October 2017 to May 2023.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Consensus recommendation published in 2017 histologically defining atypical neurofibromatous neoplasm of uncertain biologic potential (ANNUBP) and malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (MPNST) were codified in the 2021 WHO Classification of Tumors of the Central Nervous System and the 2022 WHO Classification of Tumors of Soft Tissue and Bone. However, given the shift in diagnostic pathology toward the use of integrated histopathologic and genomic approaches, the incorporation of additional molecular strata in the classification of Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1)-associated peripheral nerve sheath tumors should be formalized to aid in accurate diagnosis and early identification of malignant transformation to enable appropriate intervention for affected patients. To this end, we assembled a multi-institutional expert pathology working group as part of a "Symposium on Atypical Neurofibroma: State of the Science".

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Astrocytomas that harbor recurrent genomic alterations in MYB or MYBL1 are a group of Pediatric-type diffuse low-grade gliomas that were newly recognized in the 2021 WHO Classification of Tumors of the Central Nervous System. These tumors are described in the WHO classification as harboring fusions in MYB or MYBL1. In this report, we examine 14 consecutive cases in which a MYB or MYBL1 alteration was identified, each with diagnostic confirmation by genome-wide DNA methylation profiling (6 Angiocentric gliomas and 8 Diffuse astrocytomas, MYB- or MYBL1-altered), for their specific genomic alterations in these genes.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The study focuses on malignant transformation (MT) in IDH-mutant gliomas, emphasizing the need to understand the mechanisms behind MT and intervene at early stages.
  • Researchers created two 3D cell models (403L and 403H) from the same patient's IDH-mutant glioma, representing low-grade (LGG) and high-grade (HGG) tumors, allowing for comparison of genetic and metabolic changes.
  • The findings indicate that the high-grade model (403H) is more aggressive, showing increased cell invasion and distinct metabolic alterations, providing a new framework for investigating MT in gliomas.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • - A 57-year-old man was diagnosed with a tumor located in the cauda equina, which had metastasized to both the spinal cord and intracranial areas, causing severe lower back pain and balance issues.
  • - Imaging revealed a large mass affecting the lumbosacral region, along with intradural and intracranial metastases, prompting further investigation of its pathology.
  • - Although the tumor's features initially suggested a choroid plexus tumor, additional tests, including methylation profiling, confirmed the diagnosis as a choroid plexus papilloma, highlighting its unusual location and metastatic behavior.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Papillary tumor of the pineal region (PTPR) is a rare and unique tumor characterized by specific molecular and histopathologic features, with limited prior research on its variations and clinical presentations.
  • In a study of 76 confirmed PTPR cases, researchers identified two main methylation groups (PTPR-A and PTPR-B) and further classified PTPR-B into two subtypes (B1 and B2) based on DNA methylation profiles and genomic variations.
  • Clinical outcomes revealed that nearly half of the patients experienced tumor progression, with significant differences in outcomes among the identified subtypes, highlighting the tumor's molecular diversity and potential for recurrence.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome type 1 (APS-1) is a severe genetic disorder resulting from AIRE deficiency, leading to self-reactive T cells causing autoimmune damage in various organs.
  • The study investigated the role of interferon-γ in APS-1 by analyzing patient samples and conducting experiments with mice, finding that high levels of interferon-γ correlate with disease activity.
  • Treatment with the JAK inhibitor ruxolitinib significantly reduced interferon-γ levels and improved symptoms in APS-1 patients, suggesting that targeting this pathway may be a viable therapeutic approach.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Context: Spatial transcriptomic (ST) analysis of tumors provides a novel approach to studying gene expression along with the localization of tumor cells in their environment to uncover spatial interactions.

Design: We present ST analysis of corticotroph pituitary neuroendocrine tumors (PitNETs) from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues. ST data were compared to immunohistochemistry results.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • CNS embryonal tumors are diverse high-grade cancers, and recent advancements in profiling have identified new molecular subtypes, including those with the BRD4::LEUTX fusion.
  • A study characterized 9 cases of CNS tumors with this fusion, revealing key features such as young patient age, large tumor size, and spread to the cerebrospinal fluid, alongside distinct biological behaviors.
  • The tumors displayed high-grade characteristics and specific gene expressions, indicating a unique methylation signature that warrants further investigation through larger studies for a deeper understanding of this tumor type.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Adrenal myelolipomas (AML) are composed of mature adipose and hematopoietic components. They represent approximately 3 percent of adrenal tumors and are commonly found in patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH). CAH provides a unique environment to explore AML pathogenesis.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Diffuse midline glioma, H3 K27-altered (DMG-H3 K27) is an aggressive group of diffuse gliomas that predominantly occurs in pediatric patients, involves midline structures, and displays loss of H3 p.K28me3 (K27me3) expression by immunohistochemistry and characteristic genetic/epigenetic profile. Rare examples of a diffuse glioma with an H3 p.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: Multidisciplinary tumor boards (MTBs) integrate clinical, molecular, and radiological information and facilitate coordination of neuro-oncology care. During the COVID-19 pandemic, our MTB transitioned to a virtual and multi-institutional format. We hypothesized that this expansion would allow expert review of challenging neuro-oncology cases and contribute to the care of patients with limited access to specialized centers.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most aggressive primary brain malignancy with <45% living a year beyond diagnosis. Previously published investigations of long-term survivors (LTS) provided clinical data but rarely incorporated a comprehensive clinical and molecular analysis. Herein, we identify clinical, imaging, molecular, and outcome features for 23 GBM-LTS patients and compare them with a matched cohort of short-term survivors (STS).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Gliosarcoma, an isocitrate dehydrogenase wildtype (IDH-WT) variant of glioblastoma, is defined by clonal biphasic differentiation into gliomatous and sarcomatous components. While the transformation from a glioblastoma to gliosarcoma is uncommon, the subsequent transformation to osteosarcoma is rare but may provide additional insights into the biology of these typically distinct cancers. We observed a patient initially diagnosed with glioblastoma, that differentiated into gliosarcoma at recurrence, and further evolved to osteosarcoma at the second relapse.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Intracranial mesenchymal tumor (IMT), FET::CREB fusion-positive is a provisional tumor type in the 2021 WHO classification of central nervous system tumors with limited information available. Herein, we describe five new IMT cases from four females and one male with three harboring an EWSR1::CREM fusion and two featuring an EWSR1::ATF1 fusion. Uniform manifold approximation and projection of DNA methylation array data placed two cases to the methylation class "IMT, subclass B", one to "meningioma-benign" and one to "meningioma-intermediate".

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Astroblastoma, MN1-altered, is a rare neoplasm of the central nervous system (CNS). This malignancy shares similar histopathological features with other CNS tumors, including ependymomas, making it challenging to diagnose. DNA methylation profiling is a new and robust technique that may be used to overcome this diagnostic hurdle.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Diagnostic classification of soft tissue tumors is based on histology, immunohistochemistry, genetic findings, and radiologic and clinical correlations. Recently, a sarcoma DNA methylation classifier was developed, covering 62 soft tissue and bone tumor entities. The classifier is based on large-scale analysis of methylation sites across the genome.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF