HIV protease inhibitor Lopinavir induces apoptosis of primary effusion lymphoma cells via suppression of NF-κB pathway.

[primary effusion lymphoma]

Primary effusion lymphoma (PEL ) is a non-Hodgkin lymphoma that occurs predominantly in patients with advanced AIDS . In this study , we examined the effect of HIV protease inhibitors , Lopinavir (LPV ), Ritonavir (RTV ) and Darunavir (DRV ) on PEL cell lines in vitro and in vivo . LPV and RTV , but not DRV induced caspase-dependent apoptosis and suppressed NF-κB activity by inhibiting IKK phosphorylation in PEL cells . In a PEL xenograft mouse model , LPV significantly inhibited the growth and invasion of PEL cells . These results suggest that LPV may have promise for the treatment and prevention of PEL , which occurs in HIV /AIDS patients .