Hepatitis C virus and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma: biology, epidemiology and therapy

Abstract

Although the association between the hepatitis C virus and B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas is still controversial, there is increasing evidence of the role of this virus in several B-cell lymphoproliferative disorders, whose prototype is mixed cryoglobulinemia. The aim of the present paper was to provide an overview of the biological mechanisms involved in the development of B-cell disorders in the course of chronic hepatitis C virus infection. The link between this virus and non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas is also considered from an epidemiological point of view, and the great regional differences in the prevalence of hepatitis C-associated lymphomas are discussed. Finally, the role of antiviral therapy and suggestions about the most appropriate, currently available, therapeutic approaches are also discussed.