Plasmablastic lymphoma in HIV patients: Experience at a tertiary care hospital in eastern India

Plasmablastic lymphoma (PBL), a rare non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) variant specifically associated with human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS), expresses well-differentiated plasma cell markers like CD138, bright CD38, and MUM1; but not conventional B-cell markers. It occurs at unusual sites like oral cavity and orbit, and has poor survival rates.

This study serves as a review of a clinical experience with six HIV patients with PBL and observes the spectrum of clinical presentations, histopathologies, and 1-year outcomes in PBL patients.

This review of six PBL patients was conducted at a tertiary care hospital in eastern India using relevant radiological, histopathogical, and immunohistological studies.

Incidence of PBL among HIV patients was 0.58% (6/1,028). Mean CD4 count at presentation was 125.5 ± 71.1 cells/μL. Sites of involvement included pleura, lung parenchyma, suprarenal gland, pelvic cavity, and retroorbital space (one each). Immunohistopathology of biopsied sample in each patient revealed PBL (positive plasma cell markers MUM-1/IRF4, CD38, and CD138/syndecan; and negative of B-cell markers CD3, CD20, and CD30). Three (60%) were positive for Epstein Barr virus (EBV) immunoglobulin G (IgG). Five surviving patients received CHOP (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, prednisone) regimen and attained partial remission (PR) after six cycles. Subsequently, three patients were started on EPOCH (etoposide, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, prednisone) therapy; two attained near total regression after 6 months (four cycles). Overall, four patients remained alive with good quality of life at the end of 1 year of follow-up.

PBL in HIV occurs at unusual sites with varying aggressivity. This study is too small to comment on the long-term outcomes of PBL in HIV; however, coadministration of antiretroviral therapy (ART) with standard chemotherapy may improve survival.