Acute myeloblastic leukemias in HIV-infected patients.

B lineage-derived malignant proliferation is a well recognized complication of HIV infection. Acute myeloid leukemias have been reported but no complete review of these cases has been performed. The Medline database was reviewed for the years 1980-1997. Eighteen cases of AML have been reported. When previously known, HIV infection was present for 40 months. In 7 patients HIV infection and AML were diagnosed simultaneously. According to the FAB classification, 5 cases were M2, 8 M4, 5 M5, Extramedullary localizations (skin, testis, spleen) were noticed in 10 patients. Non-treated patients had a survival of 2.7 weeks versus 9.8 months in patients treated with chemotherapy. Pathophysiologic studies were performed in 3 cases: reverse transcriptase activity. and p24 antigen were noted in tumoral cultured cells in 1 case; absence of viral particules in culture in another one; absence of cloned DNA provirus integration in blasts cells in a third patient. Based on the observed high rate of M4/M5 (72 %) versus 19-36% expected in a non HIV-infected population, we postulate that the association of AML and HIV is not coincidental. The monocytotropism of HIV, the chronic cytokines-mediated activation of monocyte/macrophages, the immunodeficiency may explain this association.