ISSN:
1569-8041
Keywords:
B-cell non-Hodgkin‘s lymphoma
;
HCV
;
mixed cryoglobulinemia type II
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Medicine
Notes:
Abstract Background: Epidemiological evidence has suggested an association betweenhepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and B-cell lymphoproliferation. We studiedthe prevalence of HCV infection in a series of de novo B-cell non-Hodgkin‘slymphoma (B-NHL) cases and correlated virological findings withclinico-histological features. Patients and methods: One hundred fifty-seven patients with de novo B-NHLwere included in the study. Their serum was examined by ELISA and RIBA forthe presence of anti-HCV antibodies, and either the peripheral bloodmononuclear cells or the pathology tissues of all of the patients wereexamined by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction for the presenceof HCV RNA sequences. Results: HCV infection occurred in 22.3% of B-NHL patients and wasdocumented before the diagnosis in about half of the positive cases. Ofinterest, HCV infection was more frequently found in follicular center,marginal zone and diffuse large-cell lymphoma types, but was not associatedwith symptomatic cryoglobulinemia. The median survival time was 48 months inHCV-positive and 52 months in HCV-negative B-NHL patients. Conclusions: Our findings strengthen the pathogenetic link between HCV andB-NHL and show that HCV infection may be associated with the malignantproliferation of defined B-cell subsets other than the immunoglobulin MkB-cell subset involved in the pathogenesis of mixed cryoglobulinemia type IIandassociated lymphoplasmacytoid lymphoma type. HCV-related liver disease did notaffect the survival of our B-NHL patients.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/A:1008255830453
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