A meta-analysis of highly active anti-retroviral therapy for treatment of plasmablastic lymphoma.
OBJECTIVE
Plasmablastic lymphoma is a recently described B-cell derived lymphoma. The prognosis of plasmablastic lymphoma patients is usually poor. We performed a systematic review of the literature on the use of highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART) and the prognosis of plasmablastic lymphoma.


METHODS
A comprehensive search of relevant databases, including Medline, Embase, the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register, the Cochrane Library, and the Science Citation Index yielded ten randomized controlled trials. Trials were divided into two groups according to therapy. The rates of plasmablastic lymphoma were analyzed using a fixed-effects model. Sensitivity analyses (on publication type, statistical model) were performed to further detect and evaluate clinically significant heterogeneity. Tests of survival for plasmablastic lymphoma were also performed by using Kaplan-Meier method.


RESULTS
Meta-analysis result showed that the prognosis of plasmablastic lymphoma patients was statistically different in the patients receiving HAART in addition to chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy than in the patients receiving the chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy alone (pooled relative risk=3.04; P=.03). Survival analyses also displayed a statistically significant difference (chi-square=6.22, P=.013).


CONCLUSIONS
HAART in addition to chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy is effective in improving the prognosis of plasmablastic lymphoma. However, the small sample sizes increase the likelihood of bias in the studies in this meta-analysis, and therefore, the results should be taken cautiously.
Clinical School of Medical College of Nanjing University and Nanjing Jingling Hospital, Department of Pathology, Nanjing, China.
Bing
B
Guan
Xinhua
X
Zhang
Henhui
H
Ma
Hangbo
H
Zhou
Xiaojin
X
Zhou
D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; D006801:Humans; D016400:Lymphoma, Large-Cell, Immunoblastic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy; D011379:Prognosis; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D018401:Sample Size; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome