Retrospective analysis of HIV-associated lymphomas: insights from a single Romanian center over 15 years

Abstract

Introduction: Lymphoma is a significant cause of mortality among people living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLWH). The objective of our study was to assess the characteristics of lymphomas in PLWH in a single center from the southeast of Romania.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the prevalence and clinical and demographic characteristics of patients with lymphoma associated with HIV/AIDS monitored over a period of 15 years. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to estimate survival rates and evaluate the risk of mortality in lymphoma patients.

Results: Among the 476 new cases of HIV/AIDS registered, 9 cases of lymphoma were identified, representing a prevalence of 1.89%. Overall mortality was 13.6%, with lymphoma contributing to 10.76% of HIV/AIDS-related deaths. The average age at lymphoma diagnosis was 37 years, with most patients being men and smokers with sexually transmitted HIV. Common coinfections included hepatitis B virus (HBV) and tuberculosis. Advanced-stage disease (Ann Arbor stage IV) and type B clinical symptoms were present in half of the cases. Oncological treatment was provided in 5 cases, achieving a survival rate of 30%.

Conclusions: The high mortality highlights the need for early diagnosis and an integrated therapeutic approach to improve the prognosis of patients with HIV-associated lymphomas.

Keywords: AIDS; HIV; antiretroviral treatment; lymphoma; non-AIDS co-morbidities; opportunistic infections.

Figure 1

Kaplan–Meier survival curve of the HIV/AIDS and lymphoma (HIV L) group compared with the HIV/AIDS-only group. “HIV only-censored” and “HIV L-censored” refer to patients in the respective groups (HIV without lymphoma and HIV with lymphoma) whose data were censored, meaning they did not experience the event of interest, defined here as overall survival (death from any cause), or were lost to follow-up. The overall comparison table corresponds to this figure.