RESUMO
OBJECTIVES: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) has been implicated in lymphomagenesis of HIV-related classical Hodgkin lymphoma (HIV-cHL). The utility of EBV molecular and serological biomarkers has scarcely been examined in HIV-cHL in the recent combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) era. DESIGN: We evaluated EBV DNA load and a panel of EBV antibodies in HIV-cHL patients prospectively enrolled in the French ANRS-CO16 Lymphovir cohort between 2008 and 2015. METHODS: Pretreatment whole blood, plasma EBV DNA load and serological profiles were analysed in 63 HIV-infected patients diagnosed with cHL. For the 42 patients with available material, comparisons were performed between values at diagnosis and 6 months after the initiation of chemotherapy. RESULTS: Pretreatment whole blood and plasma EBV DNA loads were positive in 84 and 59% of HIV-cHL patients, respectively. Two-year progression-free survival estimates did not differ between the patients with pretreatment whole blood (nâ=â53) or plasma (nâ=â37) EBV DNA(+) and the patients with pretreatment whole blood (nâ=â10) or plasma (nâ=â26) EBV DNA(-) (92 vs. 80% or 89 vs. 92%, Pâ=â0.36 and 0.47, respectively). At diagnosis, 47% of patients harboured an EBV reactivation serological profile. Following chemotherapy, whole blood and plasma EBV DNA levels significantly declined from medians of 1570 [interquartile range, 230-3760) and 73 (0-320) copies/ml to 690 (0-1830) and 0 (0-0) copies/ml, respectively (Pâ=â0.02 and Pâ<â0.0001, respectively]. Anti-EBV IgG antibody level significantly dropped at 6-month follow-up (Pâ=â0.004). CONCLUSION: Whole blood and plasma EBV DNA loads do not constitute prognostic markers in HIV-cHL patients in the modern cART era.