title: Hepatitis C virus syndrome: A constellation of organ- and non-organ specific autoimmune disorders, B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and cancer.
abstract: The clinical course of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is characterized by possible development of both liver and extrahepatic disorders. The tropism of HCV for the lymphoid tissue is responsible for several immune-mediated disorders; a poly-oligoclonal B-lymphocyte expansion, commonly observed in a high proportion of patients with HCV infection, are responsible for the production of different autoantibodies and immune-complexes, such as mixed cryoglobulins. These serological alterations may characterize a variety of autoimmune or neoplastic diseases. Cryoglobulinemic vasculitis due to small-vessel deposition of circulating mixed cryoglobulins is the prototype of HCV-driven immune-mediated and lymphoproliferative disorders; interestingly, in some cases the disease may evolve to frank malignant lymphoma. In addition, HCV shows an oncogenic potential as suggested by several clinico-epidemiological and laboratory studies; in addition to hepatocellular carcinoma that represents the most frequent HCV-related malignancy, a causative role of HCV has been largely demonstrated in a significant percentage of patients with isolated B-cells non-Hodgkin's lymphomas. The same virus may be also involved in the pathogenesis of papillary thyroid cancer, a rare neoplastic condition that may complicate HCV-related thyroid involvement. Patients with HCV infection are frequently asymptomatic or may develop only hepatic alteration, while a limited but clinically relevant number can develop one or more autoimmune and/or neoplastic disorders. Given the large variability of their prevalence among patients' populations from different countries, it is possible to hypothesize a potential role of other co-factors, i.e., genetic and/or environmental, in the pathogenesis of HCV-related extra-hepatic diseases.
authors.affiliation: Clodoveo Ferri, Marco Sebastiani, Dilia Giuggioli, Michele Colaci, Chair and Rheumatology Unit, Medical School, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria, Policlinico di Modena, 41124 Modena, Italy.
authors.forename: Clodoveo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ferri
authors.affiliation: Clodoveo Ferri, Marco Sebastiani, Dilia Giuggioli, Michele Colaci, Chair and Rheumatology Unit, Medical School, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria, Policlinico di Modena, 41124 Modena, Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sebastiani
authors.affiliation: Clodoveo Ferri, Marco Sebastiani, Dilia Giuggioli, Michele Colaci, Chair and Rheumatology Unit, Medical School, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria, Policlinico di Modena, 41124 Modena, Italy.
authors.forename: Dilia
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Giuggioli
authors.affiliation: Clodoveo Ferri, Marco Sebastiani, Dilia Giuggioli, Michele Colaci, Chair and Rheumatology Unit, Medical School, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria, Policlinico di Modena, 41124 Modena, Italy.
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Colaci
authors.affiliation: Clodoveo Ferri, Marco Sebastiani, Dilia Giuggioli, Michele Colaci, Chair and Rheumatology Unit, Medical School, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria, Policlinico di Modena, 41124 Modena, Italy.
authors.forename: Poupak
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fallahi
authors.affiliation: Clodoveo Ferri, Marco Sebastiani, Dilia Giuggioli, Michele Colaci, Chair and Rheumatology Unit, Medical School, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria, Policlinico di Modena, 41124 Modena, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Piluso
authors.affiliation: Clodoveo Ferri, Marco Sebastiani, Dilia Giuggioli, Michele Colaci, Chair and Rheumatology Unit, Medical School, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria, Policlinico di Modena, 41124 Modena, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Antonelli
authors.affiliation: Clodoveo Ferri, Marco Sebastiani, Dilia Giuggioli, Michele Colaci, Chair and Rheumatology Unit, Medical School, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria, Policlinico di Modena, 41124 Modena, Italy.
authors.forename: Anna Linda
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Zignego
keywords: Diabetes; Hepatitis C virus; Lymphoma; Mixed cryoglobulinemia; Thyroid
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