HBV and HCV Incidence among Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma Patients in Varna Region (2013-2016)

Several epidemiological studies have discussed the relationship between HBV and HCV viral infections and the development of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHL). According to WHO, Bulgaria is in the intermediate zone of hepatitis B endemicity, with 3.87% HBsAg (+) carriers. The frequency of HCV (+) individuals in the general population is lower -1.28%. A national survey from 1999 to 2000 showed a higher proportion of these infections in the Varna region, 5.26% and 1.4%, respectively. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the incidence of HBV and HCV infection in patients with different histological variants of NHL, based on the presence of HBsAg, anti-HBc total Ab and anti-HCV Ab. We analyzed 466 patients with clinical and laboratory diagnosis NHL, tested for HBsAg and 462 patients, explored for anti- HCV Ab. The survey was conducted in the laboratory of clinical virology of “St. Marina” University Hospital, Varna, from 2013 to 2017. Sixty individuals were tested for anti-HBc total Ab, ten of which were HBsAg positive. The proportion of anti-HCV positive patients with NHL was 1.7% (95% CI: 0.8-3.4, n = 8), while HBsAg carriers were significantly more - 8.2% (95% CI: 5.8-11.0, n=38) (p<0.05). Fifty HBsAg (-) patients were tested for anti-HBc total Ab assay and positive results were found in 46.0% (95% CI: 31.8-60, n=23) of them. A higher HBsAg and anti-HCV positivity was determined in patients with NHL than the average for Bulgaria and Varna region. HBV infection dominated in this group compared to HCV.