Clinicopathological categorization of Epstein-Barr virus-positive T/NK-cell lymphoproliferative disease: an analysis of 42 cases with an emphasis on prognostic implications

Abstract

Epstein-Barr virus-positive T/NK-cell lymphoproliferative diseases (EBV-T/NK-LPDs) include several overlapping EBV-related conditions with variably aggressive courses. For prognostic categorization, we retrospectively analyzed 42 EBV-T/NK-LPD cases. Male (79% [33/42]), young (<= 40 years; 83% [35/42]) patients and T-cell lineage (81% [34/42]; CD8/CD4 = 1.8) were predominant. Clinicopathologically, three systemic and one cutaneous category were developed: hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH; 26% [11/42]), chronic active EBV infection (CAEBV; 31% [13/42]), systemic unclassifiable disease (24% [10/42]), and hydroa vacciniforme/hydroa vacciniforme-like lymphoma (HV/HVL; 19% [8/42]). Prognostically, cutaneous disease (HV/HVL) was better than systemic disease (p = 0.014; median, 285 vs. 10 months). In systemic diseases, HLH was worst (p = 0.002; 3[HLH] vs. 4[unclassifiable] vs. not reached [CAEBV]). Univariate survival analysis (n = 42) revealed cytopenia (>= one lineage; p<0.001), onset age (>40 years; p = 0.001), T-cell lineage (p = 0.041), hemophagocytic histiocytes (p = 0.031), elevated lactate dehydrogenase (p = 0.020), and liver dysfunction (p = 0.023) predicted shorter survival. In multivariate analysis, T-cell lineage (p = 0.025 [HR = 11.3]) and cytopenia (p = 0.028 [HR = 5.4]) were independent prognostic factors. Therefore, EBV-T/NK-LPD could be classified into four prognostic categories.