title: High prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection in patients with B-cell lymphoproliferative disorders in Italy.
abstract: Starting from the observation that a number of consecutive patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) resulted positive for hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibodies on routine testing, we set up a survey for HCV contact prevalence in all patients with lymphoproliferative disorders (LPD) followed in our institution. We searched for HCV antibodies by a third-generation ELISA technique, followed by a confirmation test (RIBA III); serum viral RNA and HCV genotype were investigated by a RT-PCR technique. We screened a total of 315 patients suffering from B-NHL (91), multiple myeloma (56), MGUS (48), chronic lymphocytic leukemia (57), Waldentrom's macroglobulinemia (13), Hodgkin's disease (HD)(43), and T-NHL (9). While only 1 of 52 patients with a non-B-LPD (HD or T-NHL) had signs of HCV contact (i.e., 1.9%, which is in the range of the normal population in the South of Italy), 59 of 263 patients with a B-LPD (22.4%) had HCV antibodies or RNA, or both, with no major differences among the various types of disorders, except for WM, in which the rate was higher (61.5%). The same prevalence was found for patients tested at diagnosis or during the follow-up, and in transfused or never-transfused patients. Only a few patients were aware of having a liver disease; one-half of HCV-positive patients never had transaminase increase. A review of data from Central and Northern Italy is included, showing similar findings; a report from Japan has confirmed such an association, while limited surveys in England have not revealed any correlation. These findings may have important biological and clinical implications.
authors.affiliation: Division of Hematology, Federico II University Medical School, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: De Rosa
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Gobbo
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: De Renzo
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Notaro
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Garofalo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Grimaldi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Apuzzo
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chiurazzi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Picardi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Matarazzo
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rotoli
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001402:B-Lymphocytes; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000145:classification; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000150:complications; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications* / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000150:complications; D008232:Lymphoproliferative Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000382:microbiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral