Immunohistochemical Detection of Hepatitis C Virus (Genotype 4) in B-cell NHL in an Egyptian Population

Abstract

Background and Aim Retrospective evaluation of hepatitis C virus (HCV) prevalence in lymphoma tissues has important applications in clarifying the contribution of viral factors to the pathogenesis. Trials for detection of HCV at the cellular level in lymphoma tissues are, so far, minimal with unsatisfactory results. We aimed to study the detection and localization of HCV in the tissues of B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) patients. Design We performed immunohistochemistry to detect the HCV nonstructural 3 protein in paraffin-embedded tissue specimens of B-cell NHL patients, in 39 serum HCV-RNA positive samples and 35 serum HCV-RNA negative samples as controls. The serum analysis was carried out for HCV antibodies using enzyme-linked immunoassay and for HCV-RNA using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction was used to detect the HCV-RNA in tissues in immunohistochemically positive cases. We correlated the results with the clinicopathologic characteristics of the patients. Results A diffuse cytoplasmic immunohistochemical staining for HCV in the lymphoid cells was detected in 8 of 39 serum positive cases (20.5%), all of which were genotype 4, which is the most prevalent HCV genotype in Egypt. Only 2 out of 35 serum negative control samples showed positive staining and in 1 of them HCV-RNA was detected in tissue. No significant correlation was detected between HCV positive cases and the clinicopathologic features of the patients. Conclusions Immunohistochemical detection of HCV proteins in lymphoma tissues supports a potential role of viral replication in lymphomagenesis. The low number of cases showing expression of viral proteins may represent a low viral load in lymphoid tissue and/or restriction of HCV protein expression to certain subtypes of B-cell NHL. Immunohistochemistry can be used as a complementary tool for specific HCV detection in the paraffin-embedded material of lymphoma tissues not suitable for RNA analysis.

Economic burden of hepatitis C in Egypt: the future impact of highly effective therapies

“…The number of patients with non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) attributed to HCV was based on published data and age‐standardised incidence rates (ASR) of NHL in Egypt 10, 11, 12, 13. The age and gender distribution of NHL was obtained from the Gharbia cancer registry 14.…”

Extra-hepatic infection of hepatitis C virus in the colon tissue and its relationship with hepatitis C virus pathogenesis

“…Extra-hepatic infection of HCV was examined in colonic tissue using fluorescent IHC as previously described for detection of HCV core and HCV NS3 proteins (Gouda et al, 2010). Briefly, colon biopsy samples were fixed in 10 % buffered formalin, dehydrated in ethanol and embedded in paraffin.…”

“…Immunohistochemistry (IHC) detection of HCV NS proteins was used successfully for analysis of HCV infection in tissues (Gouda et al, 2010;Yan et al, 2000b). The IHC studies were used successfully to identify the extra-hepatic sites for HCV infection in many tissues such as intestinal tissues (Deforges et al, 2004), pancreas (Yan et al, 2000b), kidney (Sansonno et al, 1997), adrenal glands (Yan et al, 2000b), spleen (Yan et al, 2000b), gall bladder (Yan et al, 2000b), heart (Yan et al, 2000a) and lymph nodes (Pal et al, 2006).…”

Association of colonic regulatory T cells with hepatitis C virus pathogenesis and liver pathology

“…2 In Egypt, it was estimated that 15% of Egyptians have serologic evidence of HCV infection. 3 The ultimate outcome of HCV infection is determined by the host immune response. Patients with acute HCV infection who did not clear the virus developed chronicity.…”