HIV-related Refractory Hodgkin Lymphoma: A Case Report of Complete Response to Nivolumab

We present a case of a veteran with well-controlled human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and primary refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) who, after multiple prior lines of therapy, received nivolumab with a complete response. He also developed autoimmune diabetes mellitus after 6 months of nivolumab. HIV-associated HL is currently treated under the same algorithm as HL in the general population, but its unique biology, particularly the near-universal association with Epstein-Barr virus, regardless of histology, suggests that immunotherapy may have an important role in the management of this disease. Most clinical trials highlighting checkpoint inhibitors have excluded HIV-infected patients. More prospective data is clearly needed to delineate the risks and benefits of immunotherapy in this population with increased autoimmunity at baseline.