title: A longitudinal and prospective study of Epstein-Barr virus load in AIDS-related non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) may be causally associated with non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL) in HIV-infected patients.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To compare EBV load in whole blood in AIDS-NHL patients, HIV non-AIDS patients and non-HIV-infected persons, and to prospectively measure EBV load in whole blood in AIDS-NHL patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Longitudinal and prospective study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We observed no statistical difference in EBV load between AIDS-NHL (3.69log(10) copies/mL [interquartile range (IQR): 2.89-4.27]) and HIV non-AIDS patients (3.08log(10) copies/mL [IQR: 1.29-3.57]) but AIDS-NHL patients had significantly higher EBV loads than HIV-negative controls (1.19log(10) copies/mL [IQR: 0.00-3.29]). We noticed an inverse correlation between CD4+ lymphocytes count and EBV load in patients with AIDS-NHL (r(2)=0.41, P=0.01). In the longitudinal study, the mean EBV load three months after NHL diagnosis decreased significantly (mean difference=-1.69log(10) copies/mL [95% confidence interval: -0.32; -3.04]; P=0.03) under chemotherapy but was still elevated in patients with relapses or no response to chemotherapy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although EBV load seems a suboptimal marker for the diagnosis of AIDS-NHL, we observed a significant decrease of EBV load in patients treated with chemotherapy and a strong association between NHL outcome and EBV load in whole blood.
authors.affiliation: Service de Médecine Interne et Maladies Infectieuses, Hôpital Saint-André, 1 rue Jean Burguet, 33075 Bordeaux Cedex, France.
authors.forename: Fabrice
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bonnet
authors.forename: Anne-Christine
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Jouvencel
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Parrens
authors.forename: Magali Joblon
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Leon
authors.forename: Emmanuelle
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cotto
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Garrigue
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Morlat
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Beylot
authors.forename: Hervé
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fleury
authors.forename: Marie-Edith
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Lafon
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000821:virology*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D020031:Epstein-Barr Virus Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000821:virology*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D018023:HIV Seronegativity; D006679:HIV Seropositivity; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D016483:Lymphoma, AIDS-Related / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D013997:Time Factors; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D004279:DNA, Viral; D012367:RNA, Viral