Clinical characteristics and outcomes in HIV-associated diffuse large B-cell lymphoma in China: A retrospective single-center study

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is associated with an increased risk of aggressive lymphoma, especially diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL). There are few data regarding HIV-associated DLBCL in China. Therefore, we analyzed the characteristics and outcomes of patients with HIV-associated DLBCL from our center. We retrospectively studied HIV-infected patients with DLBCL from 2011 to 2019. Data on HIV infection and lymphoma characteristics, treatments and outcomes were retrieved and analyzed. In 78 patients with HIV-associated DLBCL, most had poor performance status (PS) (74%), elevated lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels (95%), B symptoms (74%), advanced Ann Arbor stages (81%), bulky diseases (64%) and extranodal involvement (70%) at diagnosis. The median CD4(+) T cell count was 162/µl, and 26 patients were already on combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) treatment at diagnosis of DLBCL. Elevated whole blood EBV DNA copy number was detected in 38 patients (66%, 38/58). Of the 45 patients evaluated at the end of treatment, 26 (58%) achieved CR, 6 (13%) achieved PR and 6 (13%) experienced progressive disease. The 2-year progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) rates were 56.4% and 62.7%, respectively. Factors associated with decreased PFS and OS in univariate analysis were unfavorable PS and high international prognostic index. Elevated EBV DNA copy number was inclined to be associated with worse outcome. We did not observe a significant difference in survival between R-EPOCH and R-CHOP regimens. In our population, patients with HIV-associated DLBCL presented with aggressive characteristics and exhibited poor survival outcomes, even in the modern cART era.