title: Impact of hepatitis C virus infection on clinical features, quality of life and survival of patients with lymphoplasmacytoid lymphoma/immunocytoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) subgroup most frequently associated with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is the lymphoplasmacytoid lymphoma/immunocytoma (Lp-Ic). We have assessed the impact of the infection on the clinical features, quality of life and survival of HCV+ve Lp-Ic patients as compared to its impact in HCV-ve patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy patients with Lp-Ic consecutively observed over a six-year period were studied. Clinical, virological and histopathological features were recorded at diagnosis. Quality of life was assessed using a scoring system including disease-related symptoms, performance status, working ability, hospital admissions and therapies required.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighteen patients (26%) with HCV infection were identified. Significant differences between those patients and the HCV-ve group included number of symptomatic patients, Hb levels, serum protein levels, entity of the IgM monoclonal component, number of patients with cryoglobulins and with organ (liver, kidney) involvement, and entity and pattern of bone marrow infiltration. Survival rates were similar (P = 0.8383), but the quality-of-life score was significantly worse for the HCV+ve patients (P = 0.002). All anti-HCV Ab+ve patients tested positive for HCV RNA; genotype 2ac was detected in a significant proportion of cases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study confirms that HCV infection is present in about one-third of patients with Lp-Ic. HCV infection does not seem to affect the overall survival of patients with Lp-Ic, but it affects the clinical expression of the disease, so that the overall quality of life of HCV+ve patients is significantly worse.
authors.affiliation: Division of Hematology, University Hospital, Udine, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Silvestri
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Barillari
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fanin
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Salmaso
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pipan
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Falasca
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Puglisi
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mariuzzi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zaja
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Infanti
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Patriarca
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Candoni
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rogato
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Di Loreto
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Botta
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baccarani
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000472:pathogenicity; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D015451:Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D016393:Lymphoma, B-Cell / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011788:Quality of Life; D016019:Survival Analysis