Hepatitis C virus infection is significantly associated with malignant lymphoma in Taiwan, particularly with nodal and splenic marginal zone lymphomas. Issue 7 (7th June 2010)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Chuang, Shih-Sung; Liao, Yung-Liang; Chang, Sheng-Tsung; Hsieh, Yen-Chuan; Kuo, Szu-Yin; Lu, Chin-Li; Hwang, Wei-Shiou; Lin, I-Hung; Tsao, Chao-Jung; Huang, Wen-Tsung
• Is Part Of: Journal of clinical pathology. Volume 63:Issue 7(2010)
• Page Start: 595
• Page End: 598
• Publication Date: 2010-06-07
• Subjects: Hepatitis C virus -- lymphoma -- marginal zone lymphoma -- Taiwan -- virology; Pathology -- Periodicals; Pathology, Molecular -- Periodicals; 616.0705
• DOI: 10.1136/jcp.2010.076810
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0021-9746

Abstract

Abstract : Aims: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a hepatotropic and lymphotropic RNA virus causally linked to lymphoma with a strong geographic variation. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of HCV and lymphoma in Taiwan, in which HCV is endemic. Methods: Patients diagnosed with lymphoma from January 2004 to December 2008 were investigated for serum anti-HCV, and the infection rate was compared with that in healthy controls. Various lymphoma types were investigated for HCV infection. Immunohistochemistry was performed for HCV non-structural (NS)3 protein, and genotyping was performed by reverse transcriptase PCR. Results: Thirty-eight (11.0%) of 346 patients with lymphoma were positive for anti-HCV, as compared with 15 (1.8%) of 824 healthy controls (p<0.001, χ 2 test) with an age-adjusted and sex-adjusted OR of 4.57 (95% CI 2.41 to 8.68). Only nodal (five of eight cases) and splenic (two of two cases) marginal zone lymphomas (MZLs) as a group were significantly associated with HCV, as compared with mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphomas (1 of 15; p=0.002, Fisher's exact test). All 26 anti-HCV-positive cases stained for HCV-NS3 were negative. The most common genotypes were 1b (22%) and 2a (56%), with no statistical difference from 203 patients with HCV-related chronic liver disease. Conclusions: The incidence of HCV infection among lymphoma patients in Taiwan was significantly higher than that for healthy controls. Furthermore, non-MALT (nodal and splenic) MZL was the only group significantly associated with HCV. A larger national study is warranted to re-confirm our findings and to elucidate if any particular HCV genotypes were related to the pathogenesis of lymphoma.