title: High prevalence of hepatitis G virus infection in Hodgkin's disease and B-cell lymphoproliferative disorders: absence of correlation with hepatitis C virus infection.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  During the last decade an epidemiological association between hepatitis C virus (HCV) and B-cell lymphoproliferative disorders (B-LPD) has been reported; the same association has not been observed for Hodgkin's disease (HD). Hepatitis G virus (HGV) shares genetic and biological features with HCV, thus it might also be involved in lymphomagenesis.
  
  
  METHODS
  The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence of HCV and HGV infection in patients at diagnosis of B-LPD or HD.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We tested 227 consecutive untransfused patients (127 with B-LPD and 100 with HD) and 110 healthy controls. The prevalence of HCV infection was significantly higher in B-LPD patients than in controls (17.3% vs. 1.8%, p<0.002 ), whereas it was the same in HD patients as in controls. In contrast, the prevalence of HGV was significantly higher in patients, both those with B-LPD (7.8% vs. 0.9%, p<0.03) and those with HD (13% vs. 0.9%, p<0.002), than in controls. Among the various B-LPD tested, HGV infection was more frequent in B-NHL (11.5%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data support the hypothesis that HGV infection may play a role in lymphomagenesis and that this role is different and separate from that of HCV.
authors.affiliation: Hematology Division, Federico II University, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Amalia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: De Renzo
authors.forename: Eliana
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Persico
authors.forename: Fedele
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: de Marino
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: di Giacomo Russo
authors.forename: Rosario
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Notaro
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: di Grazia
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Picardi
authors.forename: Lidia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Santoro
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Torella
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rotoli
authors.forename: Marcello
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Persico
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000473:pathology; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D018178:Flaviviridae Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D029407:GB virus C; D016174:Hepacivirus; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008232:Lymphoproliferative Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence