title: Extranodal lymphomas associated with hepatitis C virus infection.
abstract: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection may be complicated by non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. We describe eight cases of B-cell extranodal non-Hodgkin's lymphoma occurring during the course of chronic HCV-related hepatic disease (low-grade of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue [MALT]-type; diffuse large cell; Burkitt; diffuse small cell). Some were localized to the liver (2), liver and spleen (1), spleen (1), peritoneal cavity (1), parotid gland (1); others manifested in the nasopharynx (1) and eyelid (1) but were accompanied by nodal disease. Four lymphomatous specimens available for molecular analysis exhibited clonal immunoglobulin gene rearrangements, lacked bcl-2, bcl-6, c-myc genes and p53 alterations, and did not contain replicative intermediate HCV RNA, as documented by a strand-specific reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. Low levels of positive-strand HCV RNA were detected in a single hepatic lymphoma, suggesting the presence of the virus in residual hepatocytes. The antigen-driven properties of HCV-associated B-cell malignant neoplasms may be considered for hepatic MALT-type lymphoma, which probably originated from lymphoid tissue acquired during long-standing HCV infection.
authors.affiliation: Anatomia Patologica, Dipartimento di Medicina Sperimentale e Patologia, Università La Sapienza, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ascoli
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lo Coco
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Artini
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Levrero
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Martelli
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Negro
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005142:Eyelid Neoplasms / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000821:virology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000821:virology; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000821:virology; D010307:Parotid Neoplasms / Q000821:virology; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D013160:Splenic Neoplasms / Q000821:virology
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral