Advances in Hematology (Jan 2011)

HCV Infection and B-Cell Lymphomagenesis

  • Masahiko Ito,
  • Hideki Kusunoki,
  • Keiko Mochida,
  • Kazunari Yamaguchi,
  • Toshiaki Mizuochi

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1155/2011/835314
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 2011

Abstract

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Hepatitis C virus (HCV) has been recognized as a major cause of chronic liver diseases worldwide. It has been suggested that HCV infects not only hepatocytes but also mononuclear lymphocytes including B cells that express the CD81 molecule, a putative HCV receptor. HCV infection of B cells is the likely cause of B-cell dysregulation disorders such as mixed cryoglobulinemia, rheumatoid factor production, and B-cell lymphoproliferative disorders that may evolve into non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). Epidemiological data indicate an association between HCV chronic infection and the occurrence of B-cell NHL, suggesting that chronic HCV infection is associated at least in part with B-cell lymphomagenesis. In this paper, we aim to provide an overview of recent literature, including our own, to elucidate a possible role of HCV chronic infection in B-cell lymphomagenesis.