Tumor metabolism and neurocognition in CNS lymphoma

Abstract Background The mechanistic basis for neurocognitive deficits in central nervous system (CNS) lymphoma and other brain tumors is incompletely understood. We tested the hypothesis that tumor metabolism impairs neurotransmitter pathways and neurocognitive function. Methods We performed serial cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) metabolomic analyses using liquid chromatography-electrospray tandem mass spectrometry to evaluate changes in the tumor microenvironment in 14 patients with recurrent CNS lymphoma, focusing on 18 metabolites involved in neurotransmission and bioenergetics. These were paired with serial mini-mental state examination (MMSE) and MRI studies for tumor volumetric analyses. Patients were analyzed in the setting of the phase I trial of lenalidomide/rituximab. Associations were assessed by Pearson and Spearman correlation coefficient. Generalized estimating equation (GEE) models were also established, adjusting for within-subject repeated measures. Results Of 18 metabolites, elevated CSF lactate correlated most strongly with lower MMSE score (P < 8E-8, ρ = −0.67). High lactate was associated with lower gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), higher glutamate/GABA ratio, and dopamine. Conversely, high succinate correlated with higher MMSE scores. Serial analysis demonstrated a reproducible, time-dependent, reciprocal correlation between changes in lactate and GABA concentrations. While high lactate and low GABA correlated with tumor contrast-enhancing volume, they correlated more significantly with lower MMSE scores than tumor volumes. Conclusions We provide evidence that lactate production and Warburg metabolism may impact neurotransmitter dysregulation and neurocognition in CNS lymphomas. We identify novel metabolomic biomarkers that may be applied in future studies of neurocognition in CNS lymphomas. Elucidation of mechanistic interactions between lymphoma metabolism, neurotransmitter imbalance, and neurocognition may promote interventions that preserve cognitive function.