ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Cell. Infect. Microbiol.
Sec. Clinical Infectious Diseases
Volume 15 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2025.1622903
Diagnostic Nomogram Based on Ultrasound and Clinical Data of Predicting Malignant Lymph Nodes in HIV Patients with Lymphadenopathy
Provisionally accepted
- 1Department of Ultrasound, Hangzhou Xixi Hospital, Hangzhou, China
- 2The Fourth Clinical Medical College, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou City, China
- 3Clinical Research Laboratory, Hangzhou Xixi Hospital, Hangzhou, China
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Background and Aims Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), caused by Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), leads to severe immunodeficiency, making patients susceptible to opportunistic infections and malignancies. Lymphadenopathy is a common symptom in AIDS patients, reflecting immune system responses but also indicating potential disease progression. Distinguishing between benign and malignant lymphadenopathy is crucial for appropriate treatment. This study aimed to develop a diagnostic method for differentiating benign and malignant lymph nodes in HIV-infected patients using clinical and ultrasound data. Methods The study was conducted at Hangzhou Xixi Hospital from March 2016 to March 2024, including 149 HIV patients with confirmed lymphadenopathy. Ultrasound examinations were performed to assess lymph node characteristics, and biopsies were conducted for pathological confirmation. Statistical analysis involved the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression to identify significant predictors and construct a nomogram for predicting lymph node malignancy. Results The malignant lymph nodes had larger short and long diameters, and differences in shape, echogenicity, and hilum compared to benign lymph nodes. Lymphocyte count and T cell subsets were higher in malignant lymph nodes. The LASSO regression model identified short diameter, lymphocyte ratio, CD3+ T cell count, and CD4+ T cell ratio as significant predictors. The nomogram constructed based on these features demonstrated good predictive accuracy (AUC = 0.904). Conclusions In conclusion, our study developed a diagnostic nomogram based on clinical and ultrasound data to differentiate benign and malignant lymph nodes in HIV patients. This tool had diagnostic accuracy and offers practical guidance for clinical management of HIV patients with lymphadenopathy.
Keywords: HIV, ultrasound, T cell subsets, diagnosis, malignancy
Received: 05 May 2025; Accepted: 25 Aug 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Pan, Yang and Shao. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Huaguo Shao, Clinical Research Laboratory, Hangzhou Xixi Hospital, Hangzhou, China
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