Panfilio Sara, D'Urso Pasqualina, Annechini Giorgia, D'Elia Gianna Maria, De Angelis Federico, Stefanizzi Caterina, Pulsoni Alessandro
Department of Cellular Biotechnology and Hematology, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.
Leuk Res Rep. 2013 May 17;2(1):39-40. doi: 10.1016/j.lrr.2013.01.002. eCollection 2013.
We report a case of a 54 year old patient with Multiple Myeloma (MM) and chronic HCV infection. In 2005 MM was diagnosed and a chemotherapy was prescribed. Before starting treatment a chronic HCV infection was found. When she came to our Institution for a second opinion, chemotherapy treatment was not considered immediately necessary so the patient was treated for the HCV chronic infection (Pegilated alpha-Interferon 180 μg/week and Ribavirin 1000 mg p.o./day). After one month of treatment she presented a reduction of Bence Jones protein (BJ) that further decreased in the following three months. The antiviral treatment was suspended after six months and a re-evaluation showed a complete viral response and a regression of MM. Sixty-eight months after the end of antiviral treatment the patient is asymptomatic and presents a condition compatible with an M-GUS. While the association between HCV infection and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is consolidated and it is clearly demonstrated that antiviral treatment in these patients can induce a high proportion of partial and complete remission, a similar effect was never described in MM. The response obtained in our patient may suggest a possible a role of HCV in the pathogenesis of MM.
