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Risk Factors for Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
Autoimmune Diseases
In autoimmune diseases, the immune system becomes abnormal, sees the person's own tissues as foreign, and tries to destroy them, as it would a germ. Some autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE, or lupus), and others have been linked with an increased rate of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Certain Infections
Lymphocytes (the types of cells from which lymphomas start) are part of the body's immune defenses. Several types of infections may raise the risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma in different ways.
Infections that Directly Transform Lymphocytes
Some viruses can directly affect the DNA of lymphocytes, helping to transform them into cancer cells. The human T-cell leukemia/lymphoma virus (HTLV-1) and the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) seem to work in this way.
Infection with HTLV-1 increases a person's risk of developing certain types of T-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma. This virus is most common in some parts of Japan and in the Caribbean region, but is now found throughout the world. In the United States, it causes less than 1% of lymphomas. HTLV-1 spreads through sexual intercourse and contaminated blood and can be passed to children through breast milk from an infected mother.
In areas of Africa where Burkitt lymphoma is common, infection with the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is an important risk factor for this disease. In developed countries such as the United States, EBV is more often associated with lymphomas in patients infected with HIV. It has also been linked with developing nasal T-cell lymphoma and post-transplant lymphoma.
Infections that Weaken the Immune System
Infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), also known as the AIDS virus, commonly causes immune system deficiency. HIV infection is a risk factor for developing certain types of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, such as Burkitt lymphoma and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.
Infections that Cause Chronic Immune Stimulation
Some long-term infections may increase the risk of lymphoma by forcing a person's immune system to be on constant alert. As more lymphocytes are made to fight the infection, there is a greater chance that genetic mistakes can occur, which might eventually lead to lymphoma.
type of bacteria, Helicobacter pylori, known to cause stomach ulcers, has also been linked to some lymphomas mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT lymphoma) of the stomach. The body's immune reaction to this infection increases the risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The importance of this recent discovery is that antibiotics can help in treating some patients who have already developed lymphomas of the stomach due to H. pylori.
The hepatitis C virus (HCV) can also cause long-term infections. Recent reports have found that infection with HCV seems to be a risk factor for developing certain types of lymphoma.