T(14;18) translocation in chronic hepatitis C virus infection.
Pathogenic mechanisms of B-cell lymphoproliferative disorders in chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection are unclear. We studied t(14;18) translocation by polymerase chain reaction in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 50 patients with HCV-related liver disease (group A), 7 with mixed cryoglobulinemia syndrome (group B), 55 with HCV-negative liver disease (group C), and 30 with HCV-negative chronic rheumatic disorders or chronic infection by nonhepatotropic agents (group D). T(14;18) was significantly more frequent in group A (13/50 patients = 26 %) and group B (5/7 = 71.4%) patients than in group C (1/55 = 3.6%) and group D (1/30 = 3.3%) ones. Immunoblot analysis showed bcl-2 over-expression in all t(14;18)-positive samples. In group A, 10/13 (77%) patients with t(14;18) and 13/37 (35%) without t(14;18) had serum cryoglobulins in the absence of mixed cryoglobulinemia symptoms (P <.05). These data indicate that t(14;18) and bcl-2 over-expression in lymphoid cells are frequent in chronic HCV infection and suggest that this event may contribute to the pathogenesis of HCV-related lymphoproliferative disorders.
Zignego
A L
AL
Department of Internal Medicine, University of Florence, School of Medicine, 50134 Florence, Italy. a.zignego@dfc.unifi.it
Giannelli
F
F
Marrocchi
M E
ME
Mazzocca
A
A
Ferri
C
C
Giannini
C
C
Monti
M
M
Caini
P
P
Villa
G L
GL
Laffi
G
G
Gentilini
P
P
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002883:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 14 / Q000235:genetics*; D002887:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 18 / Q000235:genetics*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003449:Cryoglobulinemia / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D003450:Cryoglobulins / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007239:Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009000:Monocytes / Q000502:physiology; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000097:blood; D012216:Rheumatic Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D014178:Translocation, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*
D003450:Cryoglobulins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2