Genome wide DNA-profiling of HIV-related B-cell lymphomas

Non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHL) represent a frequent complication of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. To elucidate HIV-NHL pathogenesis, we performed a genome-wide DNA profiling based on a single nucleotide polymorphism-based microarray comparative genomic hybridization in 57 HIV-lymphomas and, for comparison, in 105 immunocompetent diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (IC-DLBCL). Genomic complexity varied across HIV-NHL subtypes. HIV-Burkitt lymphoma showed a significantly lower number of lesions than HIV-DLBCL (P = 0.032), whereas the median number of copy number changes was significantly higher in Epstein-Barr virus negative (EBV-) HIV-DLBCL (42.5, range 8-153) compared to EBV+ cases (22; range 3-41; P = 0.029). Compared to IC-DLBCL, HIV-DLBCL displayed a distinct genomic profile with no gains of 18q and specific genetic lesions. Fragile sites-associated genes, including FHIT (FRA3B), WWOX (FRA16D), DCC (FRA18B) and PARK2 (FRA6E) were frequently inactivated in HIV-NHL by interstitial deletions, and a significantly higher prevalence of FHIT alterations was observed in HIV-DLBCL compared to IC-DLBCL. The same genes involved by fragile site deletions were also frequently affected by aberrant methylation of regulative regions.