Serologic testing shows that hepatitis C virus (HCV) may have a role in the pathogenesis of B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas (B-cell NHLs). We tried to demonstrate HCV RNA sequences in paraffin-embedded tissue from B-cell NHLs by reverse-transcription double polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Southern blotting. We studied 31 consecutive cases of B-cell NHLs; lymph nodes from 32 patients with diseases other than B-cell NHL were negative controls. Positive-strand HCV RNA was tested with primers for the 5' untranslated region. Replicative negative strand HCV RNA was tested with strand-specific RT-PCR for the 5' untranslated region. Immunohistochemical staining for HCV was done using an antibody to HCV core protein. Positive-strand HCV RNA was detected in 8 patients with B-cell NHL; negative-strand HCV RNA was detected in 6 of these cases, indicating viral replication. All control cases were negative for HCV RNA. Immunohistochemistry showed no staining of lymphoma cells for HCV core proteins in any case. HCV and B-cell NHLs may be associated. RT-PCR on paraffin-embedded lymphoma tissue is an alternative method of testing for HCV. The value of immunohistochemistry could not be ascertained. The exact role of HCV in the pathogenesis of B-cell NHL needs to be studied further.

Kimura's disease is a rare, idiopathic condition that usually affects young men of Asian descent. The disease is characterized by swelling and lesions in the head and neck region, with involvement of the subcutaneous soft tissue, major salivary glands, and lymph nodes. Patients almost always have eosinophilia and elevated serum immunoglobulin E levels. The diagnosis is established by biopsy. Kimura's disease is usually self-limiting. Its etiology is unknown but is thought to be a manifestation of an aberrant allergic response. In this paper, we describe the case of a 30-year-old patient who was diagnosed with Kimura's disease at our institution.