High prevalence of hepatitis G virus infection in Hodgkin's disease and B-cell lymphoproliferative disorders: absence of correlation with hepatitis C virus infection.
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.
De Renzo
Amalia
A
Hematology Division, Federico II University, Naples, Italy.
Persico
Eliana
E
de Marino
Fedele
F
di Giacomo Russo
Giovanni
G
Notaro
Rosario
R
di Grazia
Carmen
C
Picardi
Marco
M
Santoro
Lidia
L
Torella
Roberto
R
Rotoli
Bruno
B
Persico
Marcello
M
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