Single-cell RNA sequencing analyses of primary cutaneous B-cell disorders reveal distinct molecular patterns consistent with clinical behavior

Primary cutaneous B-cell lymphomas comprise a heterogeneous group of extranodal non-Hodgkin lymphomas. While primary cutaneous diffuse large B-cell lymphoma leg type (pcDLBCL-LT) is highly aggressive, the two other subtypes, primary cutaneous follicle centre lymphoma (pcFCL) and primary cutaneous marginal zone lymphoma (pcMZL), usually follow an indolent course. To better understand the molecular landscape of these entities, we performed single-cell RNA sequencing of pcFCL, pcMZL, and pcDLBCL-LT skin lesions and compared them to B-cell rich lymphoid proliferation (rB-LP) lesions, gastric MALT lymphoma, nodal FCL, and nodal DLBCL. Our data show that these lymphomas can be clearly distinguished from each other on a transcriptomic level based on scRNA-seq. pcMZL, pcFCL, and rB-LP all exhibited a persistent germinal centre reaction as evidenced by the presence of required support cells and continuous somatic hypermutation within the expanded clone. By contrast, malignant clones of pcDLBCL-LT and gastric MALT lymphoma lesions lacked these features. Further, pcMZL top expanded clones were developing within lesions from naive and not post-germinal centre B cells as currently presumed. Therefore, pcMZL may represent a non-malignant reaction against a yet to be determined antigen. Conversely, in pcFCL, B cells showed a larger amount of clonal expansion. The lack of further differentiation of these B cells may explain its indolent clinical course. In contrast to pcDLCBL-LT, our data thus indicate that pcMZL and pcFCL, similar to rB-LP are characterised by a functional germinal centre reaction likely driven by (a yet unknown) antigen recognition, which supports the classification of pcMZL as a lymphoproliferative disease. Key pointsO_LIIndolent B cell neoplasms are uniquely characterised by ongoing, antigen-driven germinal centre reactions. C_LIO_LIPrimary cutaneous B cell lymphomas are distinct entities compared to their systemic counterparts. C_LI