Table 2.
Baseline characteristics of pathologically confirmed pediatric Burkitt lymphoma patients in Lilongwe, Malawi, stratified by plasma EBV DNA detection at diagnosis.
| pEBV DNA+ (n=76) | pEBV DNA− (n=12) | P value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Female, n (%) | 27 (36) | 3 (25) | 0.74 |
| Age, years, median (IQR) | 9.1 (7.1–12.1) | 10.8 (7.0–12.6) | 0.51 |
| Stage III/IV, n (%) | 60 (78) | 8 (67) | 0.46 |
| HIV positive, n (%) | 2 (3) | 0 (0) | 1.00 |
| Histology diagnosisA, n (%) | 21 (28) | 4 (33) | 0.74 |
| Tumor EBER ISH positiveB, n (%) | 12/14 (86) | 0/4 (0) | 0.005 |
| UnderweightC, n (%) | 27 (37) | 5 (42) | 0.76 |
| Lansky performance status ≤70, n (%) | 57 (76) | 5 (42) | 0.034 |
| White blood cells, 103/μL, median (IQR) | 8.7 (6.6–12.9) | 9.4 (7.6–11.3) | 0.70 |
| Absolute neutrophil count, 103/μL, median (IQR) | 4.3 (2.6–7.2) | 4.4 (2.8–6.9) | 1.00 |
| Hemoglobin, g/dL, median (IQR) | 10.2 (8.8–11.7) | 10.4 (8.5–12.6) | 0.86 |
| Platelets, 103/μL, median (IQR) | 414 (270–570) | 480 (307–567) | 0.70 |
| Albumin, g/dL, median (IQR) | 3.3 (2.9–3.7) | 3.7 (3.2–4.6) | 0.078 |
| Lactate dehydrogenaseD, IU/L, median (IQR) | 668 (394–1,535) | 365 (256–983) | 0.12 |
pEBV = plasma Epstein-Barr virus. EBER ISH = Epstein-Barr virus encoded RNA in situ hybridization. IQR = interquartile range.
A
Diagnosis for non-histology cases was based on consensus telepathology review of cytology without tissue or cell block.
B
EBER ISH was only available for a subset of histology specimens evaluated in the United States.
C
Underweight was defined as weight-for-age z-score <−2 if <5 years or body mass index (BMI) z-score <−2 if ≥5 years.
D
Laboratory upper limit of normal was 250 IU/L.