Stefania Pittaluga, MD, PhD
Entry Id: TP-87

Eligibility Criteria
Candidates must have completed three years of training in anatomic pathology, or four years of training in anatomic and clinical pathology in a residency program accredited by the ACGME. Fellows must have a valid medical license in one of the 50 U.S. states, or Canada, at the time they begin their fellowship. Physicians who received their primary medical education outside the United States are eligible, as long as they meet other eligibility criteria. Prior research experience is highly desirable, as well evidence of commitment to an academic career.

Overview
The Hematopathology Section of the Laboratory of Pathology, National Cancer Institute offers a fully ACGME accredited fellowship in hematopathology, which provides broad exposure to the diagnostic and investigative aspects of neoplastic hematopathology. Material is derived principally from an active inhouse treatment program for both adult and pediatric hematologic malignancies. In addition, approximately 1900-2000 challenging cases are submitted in consultation each year. The Hematopathology Section collaborates with the Clinical Services of the NCI, NHLBI, and NIAID in both clinical management and research.

Participation in research is an intrinsic component of the fellowship program. Fellows have an opportunity to pursue laboratory interests related to experimental hematopathology and immunology. These investigations include the immunologic, functional, and molecular aspects of human leukemia and lymphoma. Appointments are for a period of two years, with extensions available. In the first year, fellows focus primarily on clinical rotations, fulfilling the ACGME requirements to qualify for the Board Certification examination in Hematopathology. In the second year, the majority of time is available for research.

The Hematopathology Section of the Laboratory of Pathology, NCI, under the leadership of Dr. Elaine S. Jaffe, provides a diagnostic service, which includes routine morphology, immunocytochemistry, flow cytometry, classical and research cytogenetics, and molecular genetics. The clinical rotations allow for exposure to these specialized diagnostic modalities. The facilities of the NCI Core Laboratories including Microarray facility provide access to the most modern molecular techniques.

Our program is integrated with the Hematology Department of the Clinical Center, NIH, where fellows receive training in bone marrow pathology and laboratory hematology. Further exposure to laboratory hematology and bone marrow pathology is provided through a rotation at George Washington University Hospital. Enhanced exposure to pediatric hematopathology and flowcytomtery is obtained through an elective rotation at Johns Hopkins University Medical Center.

• Elaine S. Jaffe, M.D., Biology and classification of lymphomas
• Mark Raffeld, M.D., Molecular pathogenesis of lymphomas
• Maryalice Stetler-Stevenson, M.D., Ph.D., Flow cytometry, biology of lymphoid neoplasia
• Stefania Pittaluga, M.D., molecular pathogenesis of lymphomas
• Constance Yuang, M.D., Flow cytometry
• Diane Arthur, M.D., cytogenetics
• Pierre Noel, M.D., bone marrow diagnosis, myeloproliferative disorders
• Irina Maric, M.D., bone marrow diagnosis, myeloproliferative disorders
• Jay Lozier, M.D. Ph.D, coagulation
• Edward Wong, M.D., pediatric hematopathology, EBV

Examples of Papers Written by Program Faculty

• Gulmann C, Espina V, Petricoin E 3rd, Longo DL, Santi M, Knutsen T, Raffeld M, Jaffe ES, Liotta LA, Feldman AL. (2005) Proteomic analysis of apoptotic pathways reveals prognostic factors in follicular lymphoma. Clin Cancer Res. 15;11(16):5847-55.
• Prakash S, Fountaine T, Raffeld M, Jaffe ES, Pittaluga S. (2006) IgD positive L&H cells identify a unique subset of nodular lymphocyte predominant Hodgkin lymphoma.
  Am J Surg Pathol. 30(5):585-92.
• Maric I, Pittaluga S, Dale JK, Niemela JE, Delsol G, Diment J, Rosai J, Raffeld M, Puck JM, Straus SE, Jaffe ES. (2005) Histologic features of sinus histiocytosis with massive lymphadenopathy in patients with autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome. Am J Surg Pathol. 29(7):903-11.
• Taddesse-Heath L, Pittaluga S, Sorbara L, Bussey M, Raffeld M, Jaffe ES. (2003) Marginal zone B-cell lymphoma in children and young adults. Am J Surg Pathol.27(4):522-31.
• Wellmann, A., Thieblemont, C., Pittaluga, S., Sakai, A., Jaffe, E. S., Siebert, P. and Raffeld, M. (2000). Detection of differentially expressed genes in lymphomas using cDNA arrays: Identification of clusterin as a new diagnostic marker for Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphomas (ALCL). Blood 96(2): 398-404.
• Teruya-Feldstein, J., Setsuda, J., Yao, X., Kingma, D. W., Straus, S., Tosato, G. and Jaffe, E. S. (1999). MIP-1alpha expression in tissues from patients with hemophagocytic syndrome. Lab Invest 79(12): 1583-1590.
• Teruya-Feldstein, J., Jaffe, E. S., Burd, P. R., Kingma, D. W., Setsuda, J. E. and Tosato, G. (1999). Differential chemokine expression in tissues involved by Hodgkin's disease: direct correlation of eotaxin expression and tissue eosinophilia. Blood 93(8): 2463-2470.
• Lim, M. S., Straus, S. E., Dale, J. K., Fleisher, T. A., Stetler-Stevenson, M., Strober, W., Sneller, M. C., Puck, J. M., Lenardo, M. J., Elenitoba-Johnson, K. S. J., Lin, A. Y., Raffeld, M., and Jaffe, E. S.: Pathologic findings in human autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome. Am. J. Pathol. 153:1541-1550, 1998.
• Quintanilla-Martinez, L., Thieblemont, C., Fend, F., Kumar, S., Pinyol, M., Campo, E., Jaffe, E. S., and Raffeld, M.: Mantle cell lymphomas lack expression of p27kip1, a cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor. Am. J. Pathol. 153:175-182, 1998.
• Elenitoba-Johnson, K. S. J., Gascoyne, R., Lim, M., Jaffe, E. S., and Raffeld, M.: Homozygous deletions at chromosome 9p21 are associated with histologic progression in follicle center lymphomas. Blood 91: 4677-4685, 1998
• Setsuda, J., Teruya-Feldstein, J., Harris, N. L., Ferry, J. A., Sorbara, L., Gupta, G., Jaffe, E. S., and Tosato, G.: Interleukin-18, interferon-_, IP-10, and Mig expression in Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-induced infectious mononucleosis and post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease. Am. J. Pathol. 155:257-265, 1999.
• Guedez L, Stetler-Stevenson WG, Wolff L, Wang J, Fukushima P, Mansoor A, Stetler-Stevenson M. In vitro suppression of programmed cell death of B cells by tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1. J Clin Invest. 1998 Dec 1;102(11):2002-10.
• Quintanilla-Martinez, L., Fend, F., Rodriguez Moguel, L., Spilove, L., Sorbara, L., Kingma, D. W., Raffeld, M., and Jaffe, E. S.: Peripheral T-cell lymphoma with Reed-Sternberg-like cells of B-cell phenotype and genotype associated with Epstein-Barr virus infection. Am. J. Surg. Pathol. 23: 1233-1240, 1999.
• Sander, C. A., Flaig, M. J., Kaudewitz, P., and Jaffe, E. S.: The revised European-American classification of lymphoid neoplasms (REAL): A preferred approach for the classification of cutaneous lymphomas. Am. J. Dermatopathol. 21:274-278, 1999.
• Sakai A, Marti GE, Caporaso N, Pittaluga S, Touchman JW, Fend F, Raffeld M. Analysis of expressed immunoglobulin heavy chain genes in familial B-CLL. Blood. 2000 Feb 15;95(4):1413-9.
• Letendre, L., Noel, P., White, W. L., Tefferi, A., Litzow, M. R., Li, C. Y. and Schroeder, G. (1999). Treatment of unfavorable myelodysplastic syndrome with all-trans-retinoic acid and subcutaneous Ara C. Leukemia Research 23(9): 811-815.

Program Graduates

• Feldman, Andrew, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, Graduated, 2006
• Prakash, Sonam, Univ of Pittsburgh, PA, Graduated 2005
• Zu, Youli, Baylor Univ Med Center, Houston, TX, Graduated 2004
• Maric, Irina, National Institutes of Health, Cinical Center, 2003
• Barry, Todd, PhenoPath, Seattle WA, Graduated 2002
• Taddesse-Heath, Lekidelu, Howard Univ, Washington DC, Graduated 2001
• Beaty, Michael, Wake-Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC, Graduated, 2000
• Teruya-Feldstein, Julie Memorial-Sloan Kettering, NYC, Graduated, 1999
• Lim, Megan, Univ of  Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI Graduated, 1998
• Elenitoba-Johnson, Kojo , Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, Graduated, 1997