HIV-associated lymphoma: A 5-year clinicopathologic study from India

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Infectious Diseases
• Pathology

Background:

• Individuals with HIV have a significantly elevated risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL).
• This study represents the largest series of lymphomas in HIV-infected individuals from India.
• It includes investigations for Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and human herpesvirus-8 (HHV-8).

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the distribution and detailed clinicopathologic characteristics of lymphomas in HIV-infected patients in India.
• To compare findings with international literature.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of lymphoma cases diagnosed between 2007-2011 at a South Indian tertiary care center.
• Inclusion of patients positive for HIV by serology.
• Review of clinical data, histopathology slides, tissue blocks, and performance of immunohistochemistry for HHV-8 and in situ hybridization for EBV.

Main Results:

• Out of 3346 lymphoma patients, 73 (2%) were HIV-positive.
• Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) constituted 87.6% of cases.
• Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma was most common, followed by plasmablastic lymphoma; survival was poor in 36% of cases with follow-up.

Conclusions:

• Indian HIV-associated lymphomas show a higher prevalence of plasmablastic types compared to global data.
• A notable absence of primary central nervous system lymphomas was observed.
• Low association with human herpesvirus-8 (HHV-8) was a key finding.