Bcl-2 rearrangement in patients with chronic hepatitis C associated with essential mixed cryoglobulinemia type II

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is found in 80% to 90% of patients with e ssential mixed cryoglobulinemia (EMC) type II, which is associated with mon oclonal IgMk produced by monoclonal B cells. It was investigated whether bc l-2 rearrangement is associated with the clonal B-cell proliferation of EMC induced by hepatitis C, The study groups were composed of 15 patients with HCV and EMC, 12 patients with HCV without EMC, and 7 patients with chronic liver disease (CLD) unrelated to HCV, Fluorescence in situ hybridization w ith probes was applied to JH and to bcl-2 to study whether JH/bcl-2 translo cation was present in these patients. Thirteen of 15 (86%) of patients with HCV-related EMC had the JH/bcl-2 translocation, a significantly higher rat e than in HCV patients without EMC (16%; P<.001). Bcl-2 rearrangement was n ot detected in the patients with CLD not related to HCV. The JH/bcl2 transl ocation may constitute a pathogenetic link for the development of NHL in pa tients with HCV infection, (Blood, 2000;96:2910-2912) (C) 2000 by The Ameri can Society of Hematology.