Acquired Immunodeficiency and Malnutrition in Patients Treated with Bi-Weekly CHOP-Based Chemotherapy for Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma.

During the recent years CHOP-14/CHOEP-14 in combination with the monoclonal anti-CD20 antibody Rituximab has become the standard choice of treatment for non-localized, poor risk Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma. We, and others, have observed a relative high incidence of opportunistic infections not normally associated with the short neutropenic periods of CHOP-based treatment. We therefore introduced a prospective risk-assessment study in February 2005. The aim of the study is to assess the degree of malnutrition and immunodeficiency that may be associated with bi-weekly regimens. This is a preliminary evaluation of the first 27 patients included. Median age was 60 (31–80), 21 (78%) had CS III/IV disease, 14 (52%) extranodal involvement, 19 (70%) elevated LDH, 9 (33%) a Performance Score ≥2, i.e.13 (48%) presented with IPI 3–5 disease. Furthermore, 7 (26%) had bone marrow involvement, 8 (30%) bulky disease and 17 (63%) B-symptoms. All patients received 6 or 8 cycles of CHOP-14/CHOEP-14, and 15 patients received Rituximab at day 1 of each cycle. Patients were examined four times: 1) before 1st cycle, 2) 14 days after 4th cycle, 3) 14 days after last cycle (i.e. 6th or 8th), and 4) 3 months after treatment. Examination included blood tests, bodyweight and DEXA-scans. 20 patients (74%) had a significant weight loss during treatment. However, 3/4 had regained normal weight three months later. Consistently, DEXA-scans demonstrated a significant reduction in total lean body mass in 12 (44%) patients. P-protein, p-albumin, and selected trace elements were decreased in about 1/4 of patients during treatment. However, most patients had significant declines in T-cell levels during treatment, and interestingly about 1/4 presented with very low T-cell levels at diagnosis. Thus, total CD3-count was low in 7 (26%) patients at diagnosis, and reduced under treatment in 23 (85%). Both CD4- and CD8-count was low in 6 patients at diagnosis, while CD4 was reduced under treatment in 24 and CD8 in 16 patients. Likewise, a significant decrease of IgA, IgM, and IgG subclasses developed during treatment (Table 1). We conclude that patients treated with bi-weekly CHOP-chemotherapy may develop severely decreased levels of T-cells and severe hypogammaglobulinemia, which may be related to an increased incidence of opportunistic infections such as PCP or CMV reactivation.