This retrospective nationwide study sought to clarify the current status of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-associated lymphoma in Japan, where the number of new HIV infections remains high. We extracted data of patients with HIV-associated lymphoma who were registered in the database of the Japanese Society of Hematology Blood Disease Registry from January 2012 to December 2015, and analyzed patient characteristics, pathological diagnosis, and outcomes. The study cohort included 79 patients, including 75 male patients, with a median age of 52.5 (25-88) years. Among the lymphoma subtypes reported, the most common was diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL), followed by Burkitt lymphoma and primary central nervous system lymphoma. Estimated 3-year overall survival (OS) of all types of HIV-associated lymphoma was 68.8% [95% CI 68.2-69.4%]. However, the rate of extranodal involvement at the time of diagnosis was 49.2% and half of DLBCL was international prognostic index high or high-intermediate, with poor prognosis. Patients with primary effusion lymphoma died within 6 months. Even in an era of combination antiretroviral therapy, HIV-associated lymphoma remains an important problem. Clinical manifestations identified in this study were aggressive, and outcomes remained poor, warranting continuous surveillance of HIV-associated lymphoma.
Keywords: AIDS; Blood disease registry; Epidemiology; HIV-associated lymphoma.