HIV-INFECTION AND NEOPLASIA

HIV infection predisposes to several neoplastic conditions, especially non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and Kaposi's sarcoma (HS), and also intrae pithelial cervical neoplasia (GIN) and anal neoplasia (AIN) (but not c ervical or anal invasive cancer) and possibly seminoma. For neoplasias associated with oncogenic human viruses (ie, some NHL, GIN, AIN, and probably KS) the role of HIV is most probably linked to its immunosupp ressive effect and interference with immune-mediated tumour surveillan ce. HIV-1, through its regulatory protein fat, might also have a direc t promoting effect on KS lesions but it is not essential for their dev elopment. The increased frequency of Burkitt's lymphoma and Epstein-Ba rr-virus-negative large-cell lymphoma in AIDS patients, but not in imm unosuppressed transplant patients, and the increased rate of testicula r tumours in HIV-infected individuals remain unexplained and may indic ate either a direct role for HIV or other cofactors.