title: Lymphotropic virus infection of peripheral blood mononuclear cells in B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
abstract: Some lymphotropic viruses such as Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) have been proposed as causative agents of B cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). More recently, the presence of hepatitis C virus (HCV), which is both a hepatotropic and lymphotropic virus, has been reported in one third of B cell NHL patients. The aim of this study was to investigate in a series of B cell NHL the prevalence of three lymphotropic viruses, i.e. EBV, HHV-6 and HCV, in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). Eighteen unselected B cell NHL patients (10 men, 8 women; mean age 62 +/- 12 years, range 31-77 years; mean disease duration 1.8 +/- 1.4 years) and 40 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were included in the study. In all cases, an acquired-immunodeficiency-syndrome-related lymphoma was excluded. By means of the polymerase chain reaction technique, EBV DNA, HHV-6 DNA and HCV RNA were detected in PBMC. HCV genomic sequences were significantly more frequent in PBMC of NHL patients than in controls (33 vs. 2.5%; p < 0.01); on the other hand, in the same two groups EBV DNA (39 vs. 60%; p = not significant) and HHV-6 DNA (22 vs. 32%; p = not significant) were present in a comparable percentage of individuals in the same two groups. The infection of PBMC by HCV alone was present in the majority (5 of 6) of HCV-positive NHL. These data support the implication of HCV infection in a statistically significant number of B cell NHL, whereas a possible co-operation between HCV and other well-known lymphotropic viruses seems to be excluded.
authors.affiliation: Istituto Patologia Medica I, University of Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ferri
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lo Jacono
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Monti
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Caracciolo
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: La Civita
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Barsanti
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Longombardo
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lombardini
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Careccia
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Zignego
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015654:Herpesvirus 6, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000821:virology*; D016393:Lymphoma, B-Cell / Q000097:blood / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D012367:RNA, Viral