title: Is valganciclovir really effective in primary effusion lymphoma: case report of an HIV(-) EBV(-) HHV8(+) patient.
abstract: Primary effusion lymphoma (PEL) is a human herpesvirus 8 (HHV8) associated lymphoproliferative disease characterized by effusions in body cavities, and lack of tumor mass. Valganciclovir is a treatment option in PEL, however, little is known about its clinical efficacy. Ganciclovir has been reported to be effective in HHV8(+) multicentric Castleman's disease (MCD) by decreasing the plasma HHV8 load, which is an important factor in the induction and persistence of MCD, Kaposi's sarcoma (KS), and PEL. But there is no information about the efficacy of valganciclovir on HHV8 associated lymphoproliferative diseases. Here, we present the first EBV and HIV negative, HHV8 positive PEL case treated with valganciclovir; for whom it initially reduced the viral load leading to a transient partial improvement in the clinical status, but failed to induce a complete and durable remission.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine/Hematology, Istanbul University, Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ozbalak
authors.forename: Ilyas
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Tokatlı
authors.forename: Metin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Özdemirli
authors.forename: Tülay
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tecimer
authors.forename: Muhlis Cem
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Ar
authors.forename: Serdar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Örnek
authors.forename: Aykut
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Koroglu
authors.forename: Yahya
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Laleli
authors.forename: Burhan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ferhanoglu
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D015774:Ganciclovir / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D019288:Herpesvirus 8, Human / Q000187:drug effects / Q000472:pathogenicity* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D054685:Lymphoma, Primary Effusion / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D017211:Treatment Failure; D000077562:Valganciclovir; D019562:Viral Load / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D000077562:Valganciclovir; D015774:Ganciclovir
keywords: Epstein Bar virus negative; aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma; human herpesvirus 8 positive; human immunodeficiency virus negative; primary effusion lymphoma