Viral etiology, clinical and laboratory features of adult hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis.
Secondary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (SHLH) is a potentially fatal hyperinflammatory syndrome with a heterogeneous etiology and has nonspecific clinical and laboratory findings. The diagnosis and treatment of adult SHLH is challenging because the etiology of the disease is difficult to identify, and the majority of reported cases are pediatric patients. The aim of this study was to describe the etiology, clinical characteristics, and outcomes of adult SHLH. Fifty-four adult patients who fulfilled the criteria of SHLH were enrolled in the study. Viral etiology, blood biomarkers, and clinical manifestations of SHLH were analyzed in these patients. Twenty-four SHLH patients had viraemia, whereas 30 SHLH patients were secondary to other diseases. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) was the most common virus that associated SHLH among all viruses studied. Severe SHLH patients with EBV-viraemia presented significantly high levels of ferritin, lactate dehydrogenase, aspartate transaminase (AST), and alanine transaminase (ALT). Positively relationships existed between EBV DNA titers and levels of AST and ALT (P < 0.05). The prognosis of SHLH patients with EBV viraemia was worse than that of non-EBV SHLH and non-viral SHLH. Our data reveal that EBV is the major pathogen in virus-associated SHLH, and EBV load influence disease development in SHLH patients with EBV infection that prognosis is worse than other viruses associated SHLH.
Shantou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shantou, Guangdong, China.|Cell Biology and Genetics Department of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, China.
Jinghong
J
Chen
Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, China.
Xuehua
X
Wang
Cell Biology and Genetics Department of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, China.
Ping
P
He
Cell Biology and Genetics Department of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, China.
Yazhen
Y
Li
Cell Biology and Genetics Department of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, China.
Mengya
M
Si
Cell Biology and Genetics Department of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, China.
Zhichen
Z
Fan
Cell Biology and Genetics Department of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, China.
Xiaolan
X
Chang
Cell Biology and Genetics Department of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, China.
Qindong
Q
Xie
Cell Biology and Genetics Department of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, China.
Xiaoyang
X
Jiao
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D020031:Epstein-Barr Virus Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000821:virology*; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000097:blood; D051359:Lymphohistiocytosis, Hemophagocytic / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014766:Viremia; D055815:Young Adult
D015415:Biomarkers; D004279:DNA, Viral; D005293:Ferritins; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase
Epstein-Barr virus; hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis; virus