Plasma Epstein-Barr virus and Hepatitis B virus in non-Hodgkin lymphomas: Two lymphotropic, potentially oncogenic, latently occurring DNA viruses.

CONTEXT: There is a need to study potential infective etiologies in lymphomas. Lymphocyte-transforming viruses can directly infect lymphocytes, disrupt normal cell functions, and promote cell division. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is known to be associated with several lymphomas, especially Hodgkin lymphomas (HLs). And recently, the lymphocyte-transforming role of hepatitis B virus (HBV) has been emphasized. AIMS: The aim of this study was to elucidate the association of two potentially oncogenic, widely prevalent latent DNA viruses, EBV and HBV, in non-HL (NHL). SETTINGS AND DESIGN: In this prospective study, we estimated plasma EBV and HBV DNA in NHL patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Peripheral blood was obtained from newly diagnosed, treatment na ïve, histologically confirmed NHL patients. Plasma EBV DNA was quantified by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting Epstein-Barr Nucleic acid 1 while the plasma HBV DNA was detected using nested PCR targeting HBX gene. In a small subset of patients, follow-up plasma samples post-anticancer chemotherapy were available and retested for viral DNA. RESULTS: Of the 110 NHL patients, ~79% were B-cell NHL and ~21% were T-cell NHL. Plasma EBV-DNA was detected in 10% NHLs with a higher EBV association in Burkitt lymphoma (33.3%) than other subtypes. Pretherapy HBV DNA was detected in 21% NHLs; most of them being diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Moreover, 42% of DLBCL patients had HBV DNA in plasma. Since all patients were HBV surface antigen seronegative at diagnosis, baseline plasma HBV-DNAemia before chemotherapy was indicative of occult hepatitis B infection. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate a significant association of HBV with newly diagnosed DLBCL.

Gastric diffuse large B cell lymphoma presenting as paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration: case report and review of literature.

Paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration (PCD) is a type of paraneoplastic neurological disorder (PND) that is associated with many solid tumors, Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) and very rarely with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). We report a case of PCD associated with gastric diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) in a patient who presented with acute onset of giddiness and double vision and had complete remission of the gastric lesion and marked improvement of cerebellar syndrome with rituximab-based combination chemotherapy. A brief review of the literature is also presented.