Prior
research has indicated that people with chronic
hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection may be at higher risk for lymphoma, including
Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) - with as much as a 2-fold
increase, according to some studies.
As reported in the February 1, 2008
International Journal of Cancer, Canadian researchers investigated the
association between HCV seropositivity and the risk of NHL in a population-based
case-control study in British Columbia.
Case patients were aged 20-79
years, were diagnosed with NHL between March 2000 and February 2004, and were
residents of Vancouver or Victoria, BC; individuals coinfected
with HIV and those who had received liver
transplants were excluded. Controls subjects without NHL were chosen from
the Client Registry of the British Columbia Ministry of Health and were matched
with cases for age, sex, and region.
Results
•
HCV antibodies were detected in 795 case patients and 697 control subjects.
•
The rate of HCV seropositivity was 2.4% among cases with NHL, compared to 0.7%
among controls without NHL (odds ratio [OR] 2.6).
•
A significantly elevated risk was observed for B-cell lymphoma (OR 2.9).
•
The highest risks were associated with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (OR 7.3)
and marginal zone lymphoma (OR 6.1).
Conclusion
In
conclusion, the study authors wrote, "Our results provide further evidence
that HCV infection contributes to NHL risk."
The link between HCV
infection and NHL raises the question of whether successful hepatitis C treatment
might reduce the risk of lymphoma. In
a study reported in the December 2007 American Journal of Medicine,
Japanese researchers found that patients who achieved sustained virologic response
to interferon-based therapy were protected against development of malignant lymphoma.
3/18/08
Reference JJ
Spinelli, AS Lai, M Krajden, and others. Hepatitis C virus and risk of non-Hodgkin
lymphoma in British Columbia, Canada. International Journal of Cancer 122(3):
630-633. February 1, 2008.
Results
