Retrospective Study of Hepatitis C Virus Genotypes and its Association with Lymphoma

Abstract

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) involves both the liver and extra hepatic organs. The aim of this study was to retrospectively evaluate the association between HCV genotypes and lymphomas. Lymphoma cases were retrieved from our surgical pathology and hematopathology archives from January 2005 to April 2012. Patients who had positive HCV serology with subsequent viral genotyping were selected. Patients with positive Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)serology were excluded. We identified 17 lymphoma cases with associated HCV infection. Eleven out of 14 (79%) patients had genotype 1 HCV. Diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) was the most common lymphoma (6 out of 17 cases) and all cases of DLBCL had genotype 1. Genotype 2 was detected in only three patients (21%) with the diagnoses of follicular lymphoma, splenic marginal zone lymphoma, and classical Hodgkin lymphoma (CHL). CHL was diagnosed in three cases and peripheral T-cell lymphoma in one case.Twelve of 17 (71%) patients were incarcerated in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice system. All 11 genotype 1 patients were male, 4 of 11 (36%) were African American, 4 of 11 (36%) were Caucasian and 3 of 11 (27%) were Hispanic.We concluded that HCV genotype 1 was more common than genotype 2 while no other genotype was detected.