PREVALENCE OF HEPATITIS-C VIRUS-INFECTION IN PATIENTS WITH LYMPHOPROLIFERATIVE DISORDERS

It has been recently hypothesized that the hepatitis C virus (HCV) mig ht be involved in the pathogenesis of malignant B-cell non-Hodgkin's l ymphomas (NHL). On the basis of this observation we sought to determin e the prevalence of HCV infection in the patients affected by B-cell N HL and extended our analysis to all the patients affected by lymphopro liferative disorders seen at our institution in the last 30 months. Fi ve hundred and thirty-seven unselected, consecutive patients were stud ied. HCV infection was investigated through detection of anti-HCV anti bodies and HCV-RNA. HCV genotyping was performed on HCV-RNA positive s pecimens. The risk of being infected by HCV was compared with that of the general population of our area. Among all lymphoproliferative diso rders, the prevalence and the relative risk (RR) of being infected by HCV were increased only among B-cell NHL (9%; RR 3.24; P < .0001). Amo ng these, a strong prevalence of HCV was found only in the subgroup of immunocytomas (30%; RR 10.27; P < .0001), while other histotypes were associated with it only occasionally. Because HCV-positive lymphomas clinically behave as essential mixed cryoglobulinemia (EMC), the close association between HCV infection and EMC is confirmed, and evidence is provided that the pathological substrate of EMC corresponds to the immunocytoma. HCV genomic sequences were found in 84% of patients anal yzed. Viral genotypes were those more frequent in our area. (C) 1996 b y The American Society of Hematology.