Hepatitis B virus-associated diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: unique clinical features, poor outcome, and hepatitis B surface antigen-driven origin

Abstract

While the epidemiologic association between hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is established, little is known more than this epidemiologic evidence. We studied a cohort of 587 patients with DLBCL for HBV infection status, clinicopathologic features, and the immunoglobulin variable region in HBV surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive patients. Eighty-one (81/587, 13.8%) patients were HBsAg-positive. Compared with HBsAg-negative DLBCL, HBsAg-positive DLBCL displayed a younger median onset age (45 vs. 55 years), more frequent involvement of spleen or retroperitoneal lymph node (40.7% vs. 16.0% and 61.7% vs. 31.0% respectively, both p < 0.001), more advanced disease (stage III/IV: 76.5% vs 59.5%, p = 0.003), and significantly worse outcome (2-year overall survival: 47% versus 70%, p < 0.001). In HBsAg-positive DLBCL patients, almost all (45/47, 96%) amino acid sequences of heavy and light chain complementarity determining region 3 exhibited a high homology to antibodies specific for HBsAg, and the majority (45/50, 90%) of IgHV and IgLV genes were mutated. We conclude that 13.8% of DLBCL cases are HBV-associated in HBV-endemic China and show unique clinical features and poor outcomes. Furthermore, our study strongly suggests that HBV-associated DLBCL might arise from HBV antigen-selected B cells.

Keywords: B-cell receptor; complementarity determining region 3; diffuse large B-cell lymphoma; hepatitis B surface antigen; hepatitis B virus.

Figure 1. Age distribution of DLBCL patients in HBsAg-positive and HBsAg-negative groups

Figure 2. Survival analysis according to HBV infection status

Progression-free survival of HBsAg-positive and HBsAg-negative DLBCL patients A. Overall survival of HBsAg-positive and HBsAg-negative DLBCL patients B. Overall survival of HBsAg-positive DLBCL patients with and without spleen involvement C. Overall survival of HBsAg-positive DLBCL patients with and without retroperitoneal LN involvement D. Progression-free survival of HBsAg-Positive DLBCL patients treated with R-CHOP and CHOP regimen E. Overall survival of HBsAg-Positive DLBCL patients treated with R-CHOP and CHOP regimen F. Progression-free survival of HBsAg+, HBsAg-HBcAb+, and HBsAg-HBcAb- DLBCL patients G. Overall survival of HBsAg+, HBsAg-HBcAb+, and HBsAg-HBcAb- DLBCL patients H.