title: The prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection in patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Lymphomagenesis is a multifactorial process in which genetic, environmental and infectious factors can be involved. The aim of the present study was to assess the prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection among patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), and to compare it with that of a control group of voluntary blood donors.
  
  
  METHODS
  All consecutive patients with a histological diagnosis of NHL from January 1996 to December 2001 were included in this prospective study. As control group for HCV infection, voluntary blood donors recruited over the same time period from the same geographical area were considered. The presence of anti-HCV antibodies was investigated by ELISA-II and RIBA-II, and viraemia (HCV RNA) was tested by using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR). HCV genotyping was also performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ninety-nine patients (mean age 48 years) with NHL were diagnosed during the study period. Histological classification of NHL was high-intermediate grade (63 patients), and low grade (36 patients). Immunophenotype distribution was type B (86 patients) and type T (13 patients). Seven of the 99 NHL patients (7%) were infected with HCV (both using serology and PCR), five of them with immunophenotype B and two with immunophenotype T. The prevalence of HCV infection according to NHL phenotype was 5.8% in B-cell NHL and 15.4% in T-cell NHL. The HCV genotype was 1b in six cases, and 3a in one. In voluntary blood donors (mean age 45 years), HCV infection was detected in 517/55 587 (0.93%). Therefore, HCV infection was more frequent in NHL patients than in controls (odds ratio = 8.1; 95% CI = 3.7-17.6). The odds ratio for the association of HCV and B-cell NHL was 6.2 (95% CI = 2.5-15.3), and for T-cell NHL 16.4 (95% CI = 3.7-72.8).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of HCV infection in patients with NHL (both B- and T-type) is higher than that observed in controls, suggesting a role of HCV in lymphoma aetiopathogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Gastroenterology and Hepatology Service, Hospital Universitario de la Princesa, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain. gisbert@meditex.es
authors.forename: Javier P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Gisbert
authors.forename: Luisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: García-Buey
authors.forename: Reyes
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Arranz
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Blas
authors.forename: Inmaculada
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Pinilla
authors.forename: Sam
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Khorrami
authors.forename: Agustín
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Acevedo
authors.forename: María J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Borque
authors.forename: José M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Pajares
authors.forename: José M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Fernández-Rañada
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Moreno-Otero
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D001782:Blood Donors; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping / Q000379:methods; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010641:Phenotype; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014766:Viremia / Q000150:complications
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral