[Hodgkin's disease in patients infected by the human immunodeficiency virus. Study of fifteen cases].
BACKGROUND
In spite of not being considered as an AIDS defining illness, Hodgkin's disease (HD) has specific clinical and biological features in HIV-infected patients.


METHODS
Study of clinicopathologic and analytic characteristics, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) detection (polymerase chain reaction), and prognosis in 15 patients with HD and HIV infection.


RESULTS
Thirteen patients had B symptoms, 10 extranodal involvement and 12 advanced HD. The most frequent histologic subtypes were mixed cellularity (6) and lymphocyte depletion (6). The mean (SD) of CD4 lymphocytes was 0.10 (0.08) x 10(9)/l. The presence of EBV in lymph node biopsy was demonstrated in 3 out of 4 patients investigated. Complete remission (CR) was achieved in 7 out of 14 treated cases (50%), the median overall survival was 26 months and the 2 year event-free survival probability was 60%.


CONCLUSIONS
In HIV-infected patients, HD presents in advanced stages, unfavourable histologic subtypes, frequent extranodal involvement and B symptoms. The prognosis is poor, mainly because of a low CR rate.
Tomás Navarro
J
J
Servicio de Hematología-Hemoterapia, Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona.
Ribera
J M
JM
Grau
J
J
Frías
C
C
Vaquero
M
M
Sirera
G
G
Batlle
M
M
Millá
F
F
Feliu
E
E
D000328:Adult; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D020031:Epstein-Barr Virus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000150:complications* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015995:Prevalence; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D015996:Survival Rate