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Updated: Jun 28, 2025

Author Spotlight: Advancing the Detection of Low-Frequency Mutations in Cancer Tissues
Published on: August 23, 2024
Somatic mutations in FAS pathway increase hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis risk in patients with T- and/or NK-cell
Ying Liu1,2, Rohan Sardana1, David Nemirovsky3
1Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Hematopathology Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY.
Although significant progress has been made in understanding the genetic basis of primary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), the pathogenesis of secondary HLH, the more prevalent form, remains unclear. Among the various conditions giving rise to secondary HLH, HLH in patients with lymphoma (HLH-L) accounts for a substantial proportion. In this study, we investigated the role of somatic mutations in the pathogenesis of HLH-L in a cohort of patients with T- and/or natural killer-cell lymphoma. We identified a 3-time higher frequency of mutations in FAS pathway in patients with HLH-L. Patients harboring these mutations had a 5-time increased HLH-L risk. These mutations were independently associated with inferior outcome. Hence, our study demonstrates the association between somatic mutations in FAS pathway and HLH-L. Further studies are warranted on the mechanistic role of these mutations in HLH-L.
Although significant progress has been made in understanding the genetic basis of primary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), the pathogenesis of secondary HLH, the more prevalent form, remains unclear. Among the various conditions giving rise to secondary HLH, HLH in patients with lymphoma (HLH-L) accounts for a substantial proportion. In this study, we investigated the role of somatic mutations in the pathogenesis of HLH-L in a cohort of patients with T- and/or natural killer-cell lymphoma. We identified a 3-time higher frequency of mutations in FAS pathway in patients with HLH-L. Patients harboring these mutations had a 5-time increased HLH-L risk. These mutations were independently associated with inferior outcome. Hence, our study demonstrates the association between somatic mutations in FAS pathway and HLH-L. Further studies are warranted on the mechanistic role of these mutations in HLH-L.
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