Clinical characteristics and blood product usage in AIDS-associated lymphoma in haemophiliacs: a case-control study

In order to determine risk factors associated with the development of AIDS- associated lymphoma (AIDS-NHL) in individuals with haemophilia, we undertoo k a case-control study of 25 patients with AIDS-NHL identified prospectivel y in the multicentre Hemophilia Malignancy Study (HMS) and 100 haemophilia controls with AIDS matched 1:4 by age and date of AIDS diagnosis. Clinical, laboratory and lifestyle characteristics and blood product usage during th e 2 years before seroconversion and AIDS or AIDS-NHL diagnosis were compare d between cases and controls. AIDS-NHL cases had higher haemoglobin, platel ets, %CD4 and white blood count, with the latter approaching significance, 5700 mu L-1 vs. 4000 mu L-1 P = 0.063. The proportion of cases receiving an tiretroviral treatment prior to diagnosis was similar to that of AIDS-contr ols, 72% vs. 86%, but a significantly lower proportion of cases had been tr eated with intravenous pentamidine, 4% vs. 26%, P = 0.048. There were no di fferences between cases and controls in prevalence of antibody to hepatitis B or hepatitis C, HIV-related symptoms, lifestyle characteristics, or in t he type or amount of blood product usage. Thus, clinical, lifestyle charact eristics, antiviral drug treatment and blood product usage appear to have l ittle, if any, effect on the development of AIDS lymphoma in HIV(+) patient s with haemophilia.