Non-Hodgkin lymphoma in people living with human immunodeficiency syndrome

Abstract

Introduction. Even in the era of combined antiretroviral therapy, the mortality rate in patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection remains high, especially with a contributing diagnosis of a malignant disease, such as non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Given the previous, the goal of this research was to establish the incidence of non-Hodgkin lymphoma in human immunodeficiency virus positive patients, as well as to determine their clinical characteristics and mortality in regard to patients with human immunodeficiency virus only. Material and Methods. The retrospective study included 396 human immunodeficiency virus-positive patients. Medical records were reviewed to analyze the average age, duration of infection, average duration of therapy, nCD4+ T-cell count, human immunodeficiency virus viral load, as well as the number and types of malignant diseases. Results. The average age of the patients was 44.2 years; the average nCD4+ T-cell count was 296.94 cells/?L, while the mortality rate was 14.65%. The leading causes of death were non-Hodgkin lymphoma and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. The most frequently diagnosed malignancy was non-Hodgkin lymphoma, where the average count of nCD4+ T-cells was 162.29 cells/?L. Patients with human immunodeficiency virus and non-Hodgkin lymphoma had significantly lower nCD4+ T-cell count, in regard to patients with human immunodeficiency virus only, and the mortality rate in this group of patients was 85%. Conclusion. The incidence of non-Hodgkin lymphoma in human immunodeficiency virus-positive patients represents a growing threat, given the exceptionally high mortality. The nCD4+ T-cell count may indicate acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and late diagnosis of human immunodeficiency virus together are predictors for non-Hodgkin lymphoma and its poor outcome. It points to the importance of increasing the scope of human immunodeficiency virus testing, as well as finding a better treatment approach.