Interleukine-2 therapy does not increase the risk of Hodgkin or non-Hodgkin lymphoma in HIV-infected patients: results from FHDH ANRS CO4.
BACKGROUND
Concerns have been raised about a possible excess risk of lymphomas in HIV-infected patients exposed to interleukin 2 (IL-2) therapy. Here we compared the risks of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) in IL-2-treated and IL-2-untreated HIV-infected patients.


METHODS
Patients monitored through the French Hospital Database on HIV between May 1, 1995, and December 31, 2005, were enrolled in this study. Lymphomas that occurred between the day after study entry and the end of follow-up were eligible for analysis. Poisson regression models were used in 2 separate analyses to quantify the possible relationship between IL-2 therapy and the incidence of NHL and HL.


RESULTS
The IL-2-treated group consisted of 861 patients and the IL-2-untreated group of 77,605 patients. Follow-up lasted a total of 3643 and 382,720 person-years, respectively. After adjustment for sex and time-updated age, period, the CD4 cell counts, the plasma HIV RNA levels, and AIDS status, the relative rates of NHL and HL associated with IL-2 therapy were 0.64 (95% confidence interval, 0.25 to 1.65) and 0.33 (95% confidence interval, 0.04 to 2.86), respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
In this large observational study, IL-2 therapy did not increase the risk of lymphoma, either NHL or HL, in HIV-infected patients.
Fontas
Eric
E
Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nice, Département de santé publique, Nice, F-06003, France. fontas.e@chu-nice.fr
Kousignian
Isabelle
I
Pradier
Christian
C
Duvivier
Claudine
C
Poizot-Martin
Isabelle
I
Durier
Christine
C
Jarrousse
Bernard
B
Weiss
Laurence
L
Levy
Yves
Y
Costagliola
Dominique
D
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016483:Lymphoma, AIDS-Related / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D007375:Interleukin-1