[Non Hodgkin's and Hodgkin's lymphomas and HIV: frequency, outcome and immune response under HAART; Clermont-Ferrand...

The authors had for aim to identify cases of non Hodgkin's (NHL) and Hodgkin's (HL) lymphomas in HIV1-infected patients to assess 1) their incidence, before and after 1996, 2) the clinical features and outcome under treatment together with the survival rate of the patients, 3) the immune reconstitution of lymphoma-free patients under HAART.

A retrospective study was made of HIV1-infected patients managed at the Clermont-Ferrand University Hospital from 1991 to 2003 for the diagnosis and treatment of HIV1-related lymphomas.

Forty-one patients were included: 35 NHL and 6 HL giving a cumulative incidence rate estimate from 2.4% between 1991 and 1996 to 3.4% between 1997 and 2003 while other opportunistic diseases were decreasing. A high proportion of aggressive and disseminated disease was observed among NHL cases. Complete remission was achieved in 17 (49%) and 5 (83%) NHL and HL cases respectively. The mean survival was 109+/-54 months and was correlated with CD4 cell count at lymphoma diagnosis (univariate analysis). Among responding patients, 5 died: 3 from opportunistic infections, 1 commited suicide, and 1 from hepatic carcinoma. For responding patients, the mean increase of CD4 cell count under HAART was 58/mm3 over a 2 year-period and 192/mm3 over a 5 year-period of follow-up.

The incidence of lymphomas in HIV-infected patients has not decreased since the introduction of HAART. The immune status assessed by CD4 cell count on diagnosis is correlated with survival. Immune restoration in lymphoma-free patients under HAART is poor.