Short report

EBV-positive diffuse large B-cell lymphoma in a human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 carrier

Brady Beltran¹ , Renzo Salas¹ , Pilar Quiñones² , Domingo Morales² , Fernando Hurtado¹ , Esther Cotrina³ , Luis Riva¹ and Jorge Castillo⁴

¹  Department of Oncology and Radiotherapy, Edgardo Rebagliati Martins Hospital, Lima, Peru

²  Department of Pathology, Edgardo Rebaglati Martins, Lima, Peru

³  Nursing Department, Edgardo Rebaglati Martins, Lima, Peru

⁴  The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Division of Hematology and Oncology, The Miriam Hospital, Providence, RI, USA

author email corresponding author email

Infectious Agents and Cancer 2009, 4:10doi:10.1186/1750-9378-4-10

Published:	6 July 2009

Abstract

The development of B-cell lymphomas has been seldom described in HTLV-1 carriers. We present the case of an elderly Peruvian HTLV-1 carrier who was diagnosed with EBV-positive diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Despite an initial good response to therapy, patient died during treatment due to fatal Pneumocystis jirovecci pneumonia. EBV infection is characterized by B-cell lymphotropism and selective immunodeficiency. HTLV-1, on the other hand, induces T-cell dysfunction and B-cell proliferation. Finally, immunosenescence is characterized by T-cell dysregulation, decreased apoptosis and cytokine upregulation. In this elderly patient, the combination of EBV and HTLV-1 coinfection and immunosenescence may have played a role in the development of this aggressive diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Furthermore, the immunodeficiency caused by the viral infections and chemotherapy may have played a role in developing life-threatening infectious complications.