B cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in chronic hepatitis C virus patients: An interesting relationship.
BACKGROUND
An association exists between hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), but a causal relationship is not fully established. HCV is a lymphotropic virus that represents a major etiologic agent of mixed cryoglobulinemia (MC) type II which is characterized by a low-grade B cell clonal lymphoproliferative disorder that usually progresses to a more aggressive malignant lymphoma. This study assessed the role of cryoglobulin and B lymphocyte stimulator (BLys) in the pathogenesis of NHL in chronic HCV patients.


METHODS
Sixty HCV patients, 30 free of B cell NHL (group I) and 30 with B cell NHL (group II), and 30 healthy controls (group III) were studied. Qualitative cryoglobulin assessment and a quantitative assay for BLys were done.


RESULTS
In group II, BLyS positivity rate was 1.5-fold higher than of group I (p ≤ 0.01). A positive association was found between positivity rate of MC and the level of BLyS (p ≤ 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
High BLyS levels were associated with HCV-associated lymphoproliferative disorder coupled with positive MC.
Department of Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Alabbasiya, Cairo, 11566, Egypt.
Hassan S
HS
Hamdy
Nadia A
NA
Abdelkader
Amal
A
Mansour
Enas H
EH
Allam
Hisham M
HM
El-Wakiel
Dina
D
Elshenawy
D000328:Adult; D053264:B-Cell Activating Factor / Q000097:blood*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003449:Cryoglobulinemia; D003450:Cryoglobulins / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D016393:Lymphoma, B-Cell / Q000209:etiology*; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
D053264:B-Cell Activating Factor; D003450:Cryoglobulins