'Les liaisons dangereuses': Hepatitis C, Rituximab and B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphomas

World J Gastrointest Pharmacol Ther. 2012 Apr 6;3(2):21-8. doi: 10.4292/wjgpt.v3.i2.21.

Abstract

Rituximab has provided a revolutionary contribution to the treatment of B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHL). A high prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has been described in B-cell NHL patients. Cases of liver dysfunction in HCV-positive patients have been reported with Rituximab-containing regimens. In this paper we review the recent data regarding the effects of Rituximab in NHL patients with HCV infection. We also added a section devoted to improving communication between oncohaematologists and hepatologists. Furthermore, we propose a common methodological ground to study hepatic toxicity emerging during chemotherapy.

Keywords: B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma; Hepatitis C virus; Immunochemotherapy; Methodology; Rituximab.