Clinical features and treatment of natural killer/T cell lymphoma associated with hemophagocytic syndrome: comparison with other T cell lymphoma associated with hemophagocytic syndrome

Abstract

Natural killer (NK)/T cell lymphoma associated with hemophagocytic syndrome (NK/T-LAHS) is a rare and life-threatening disease. The clinical features and overall survival of NK/T cell and other T cell lymphomas associated with hemophagocytic syndrome remain uncertain. We retrospectively reviewed the clinical records of 15 patients with NK/T-LAHS and 14 patients with other T-LAHS from December 2008 to June 2013. Patients with NK/T cell lymphoma had a higher International Prognostic Index (p = 0.045) and were more likely to be positive for Epstein–Barr virus (p = 0.025) than those with T cell lymphoma. The level of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) was significantly higher than that of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) in the NK/T-LAHS group (p = 0.005), as well as in the T-LAHS group (p = 0.019). The level of direct bilirubin (DBIL) was more likely to be elevated than that of indirect bilirubin (IBIL) in patients with NK/ T-LAHS (p = 0.047), while there was no significant difference in the T-LAHS group (p = 0.124). The median survival time for patients with NK/T and T cell lymphoma was 28 and 33 days, respectively (p = 0.726). However, in the NK/T-LAHS group, the median survival time of patients treated with and without pegaspargase was 116 and 15 days, respectively (p = 0.003). Our results suggest that patients with NK/T-LAHS are at higher risk and suffer a worse prognosis. However, the use of pegaspargase could benefit patients and lead to long-term overall survival.

Keywords::

• NK/T cell lymphoma
• hemophagocytic syndrome (HPS)
• clinical features
• treatment
• pegaspargase

Potential conflict of interest

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This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (no. 81172118). The authors are grateful for the assistance of the Medical Records Department in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University.