Lymphomas in men at high risk for acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). A study of 21 cases.

An increased incidence of lymphoid neoplasias is associated with the states of immune deficiency, both congenital and acquired. Twenty-one cases of lymphoma in men at high risk for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) were diagnosed in one community hospital in New York City within the last 2 years. The mean age of these patients was 39.6 years, 20 were homosexual, and 1 was an intravenous drug abuser. There were 3 Hodgkin's and 18 non-Hodgkin's lymphomas of various histologic types, but almost all of high-grade categories. The proportion of extranodal lymphomas, the involvement of the gastrointestinal tract, central nervous system, bone marrow, and myocardium were significantly higher than in the lymphomas of the general population. The phenotypes were B-cell and non-B-non-T-cell types without any T-cell lymphomas. All patients had reversed helper-suppressor T-cell ratios and all those tested had circulating HTLV-III antibodies. Seven patients have had previous lymph node biopsies performed, showing the lesions of AIDS-related lymphadenopathies that often were directly associated with lymphoma. A variety of severe opportunistic infections and Kaposi's sarcoma affected these patients. All lymphomas in this group were highly aggressive, involved multiple organs, and responded poorly to treatment, resulting in early deaths.