A longitudinal and prospective study of Epstein-Barr virus load in AIDS-related non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
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.
Bonnet
Fabrice
F
Service de Médecine Interne et Maladies Infectieuses, Hôpital Saint-André, 1 rue Jean Burguet, 33075 Bordeaux Cedex, France.
Jouvencel
Anne-Christine
AC
Parrens
Marie
M
Leon
Magali Joblon
MJ
Cotto
Emmanuelle
E
Garrigue
Isabelle
I
Morlat
Philippe
P
Beylot
Jacques
J
Fleury
Hervé
H
Lafon
Marie-Edith
ME
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
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D004279:DNA, Viral; D012367:RNA, Viral