Introduction. Even in the era of combined antiretroviral therapy, the
mortality rate in patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection
remains high, especially with a contributing diagnosis of a malignant
disease, such as non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Given the previous, the goal of this
research was to establish the incidence of non-Hodgkin lymphoma in human
immunodeficiency virus positive patients, as well as to determine their
clinical characteristics and mortality in regard to patients with human
immunodeficiency virus only. Material and Methods. The retrospective study
included 396 human immunodeficiency virus-positive patients. Medical records
were reviewed to analyze the average age, duration of infection, average
duration of therapy, nCD4+ T-cell count, human immunodeficiency virus viral
load, as well as the number and types of malignant diseases. Results. The
average age of the patients was 44.2 years; the average nCD4+ T-cell count
was 296.94 cells/?L, while the mortality rate was 14.65%. The leading causes
of death were non-Hodgkin lymphoma and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.
The most frequently diagnosed malignancy was non-Hodgkin lymphoma, where the
average count of nCD4+ T-cells was 162.29 cells/?L. Patients with human
immunodeficiency virus and non-Hodgkin lymphoma had significantly lower
nCD4+ T-cell count, in regard to patients with human immunodeficiency virus
only, and the mortality rate in this group of patients was 85%. Conclusion.
The incidence of non-Hodgkin lymphoma in human immunodeficiency
virus-positive patients represents a growing threat, given the exceptionally
high mortality. The nCD4+ T-cell count may indicate acquired
immunodeficiency syndrome and late diagnosis of human immunodeficiency virus
together are predictors for non-Hodgkin lymphoma and its poor outcome. It
points to the importance of increasing the scope of human immunodeficiency
virus testing, as well as finding a better treatment approach.
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma in people living with human immunodeficiency syndrome