Background: In Egypt, the elevated incidence of hepatitis C infection is associated with several subtypes of B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas (B-NHL). Hepatitis C may hinder liver functioning, resulting in diminished tolerance to chemo-immunotherapy, inadequate responses, and unfavorable clinical results.
Objectives: This study aimed to examine the clinicopathological features and clinical outcomes of B-NHL cases in hepatitis C-positive and negative groups to find out the impact of hepatitis C infection on these cases.
Patients and methods: The retrospective study involved B-NHL cases with established hepatitis C virus status, determined by ELISA and/or polymerase chain reaction techniques who attended to the Clinical Oncology and Nuclear Medicine Department at Menoufia University from January 2020 to December 2021.
Results: The study includes 221 cases with B cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma, of whom 121 (54.8%) were hepatitis C-negative and 100 (45.2 percent) were Hepatitis C-positive. The average age was 45.46±13.44 for HCV-negative cases and 57.19±10.91 for HCV-positive cases, with a significant value (p <0.001). Cases living in rural areas represented sixty-two percent of HCV-positive cases, whereas they accounted for just 40.5 percent of hepatitis C-negative cases (p-value equal 0.001). Cases who were tested positive for HCV exhibited a more advanced stage (III and IV) in around sixty seven percent of cases, compared to 52.9 percent of hepatitis C-negative cases, with a statistically significant distinction (p=0.03). Additionally, B symptoms were more prevalent in sixty-nine percent of hepatitis C-positive cases, in contrast to 40.5 percent in hepatitis C-negative cases.
Conclusions: Within Egypt, a significant proportion of B cell lymphoma cases are positive for hepatitis C and hepatitis C-positive lymphoma is associated with more advanced stages, increased B symptoms, elevated IPI scores, and reduced time to progression.