Abstract:
Objective To compare the clinical features and short-term efficacy between diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (DLBCL) of HIV-infected and non-HIV-infected patients.
Methods We collected the data of 71 patients with DLBCL in Botswana from March 2012 to March 2015. Clinical manifestation,therapy and efficacy of CHOP in the first-line treatment were compared between patients with (n=37) and without (n=34) HIV.
Results There were differences between HIV-infected and non-HIV-infected patients regarding the following features: B-symptoms incidence (56.8% vs. 29.4%; P=0.020),extranodal involvement: gastrointestinal (37.8% vs. 14.7%; P=0.028),Liver(29.7% vs. 9.7%; P=0.027),Lung(27.0% vs. 9.7%; P=0.048). The complete response (CR) rate was better in non-HIV-infected than that in HIV-infected patients (41.2% vs. 18.9%; P=0.040) and there was a trend for more non-HIV-infected patients to have high objective response rate (ORR) than HIV-infected patients (70.6% vs. 48.6%; P=0.060). More HIV-infected patients had anemia,leukocytopenia,infection (P<0.05). HIV-infected patients were classified according to the time of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HARRT) onset,on HARRT (n=24) and not on HARRT (n=13) at DLBCL diagnosis; Time of HARRT onset had no effect on ORR (41.7% vs. 61.5%; P=0.248). The ORR was better in CD4+>200/mm3 patients than that in CD4+≤200/mm3 patients (71.4% vs. 34.8%; P=0.031).
Conclusion HIV-infected DLBCL patients have more aggressive features and they can achieve similar ORR as their HIV-negative counterparts when they receive CHOP regimen. But the CR rate is worse in HIV-infected than that in non-HIV-infected patients. In HIV-infected patients,the time of HARRT onset has no effect on the short term efficacy. Low CD4+ count is the adverse predictor of short term efficacy.