Sonja E van Roeden1, Mirjam H A Hermans2, Peet T G A Nooijen3, Alexandra Herbers4, Chantal P Bleeker-Rovers5, Andy I M Hoepelman6, Jan Jelrik Oosterheert7, Peter C Wever8. 1. Department of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands. Electronic address: s.vanroeden@gmail.com. 2. Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Control, Jeroen Bosch Hospital,' s-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands. Electronic address: m.hermans@jbz.nl. 3. Department of Pathology, Jeroen Bosch Hospital,' s-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands. Electronic address: p.nooijen@jbz.nl. 4. Department of Internal Medicine, Jeroen Bosch Hospital,' s-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands. Electronic address: a.herbers@jbz.nl. 5. Department of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands. Electronic address: chantal.bleeker-rovers@radboudumc.nl. 6. Department of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands. Electronic address: i.m.hoepelman@umcutrecht.nl. 7. Department of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands. Electronic address: j.j.oosterheert@umcutrecht.nl. 8. Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Control, Jeroen Bosch Hospital,' s-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands. Electronic address: p.wever@jbz.nl.
Abstract
PURPOSE: Coxiella burnetii has been suggested as a potential cause of B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-NHL), as C. burnetii was detected in B-NHL tissues. To further investigate this potential relationship, we hypothesized that among subjects previously exposed to C. burnetii, the bacterium is more frequently detectable in tissues of patients with B-NHL (cases) compared to patients without B-NHL (controls). METHODS: We aimed to evaluate this hypothesis by assessing the presence of C. burnetii with polymerase chain reaction (PCR), immunofluorescence staining (IF) and fluorescent in-situ hybridization (FISH). Eligible patients were those previously exposed to C. burnetii. RESULTS: Samples were available for 13 cases and 16 controls. C. burnetii was demonstrated in tissues of 8/29 patients in total (28%), with either PCR, IF or FISH: in 5/13 cases (38%) and 3/16 controls (19%), p = 0.41. Negative and positive control samples were all negative and positive appropriately for all three diagnostic methods. CONCLUSIONS: In patients previously exposed to C. burnetii the bacterium was detected in tissue samples from subjects with and without B-NHL, without significant differences in the proportion positive samples. Therefore, we conclude that detection of C. burnetii in tissues of patients previously exposed to C. burnetii is a non-specific finding.
PURPOSE:Coxiella burnetii has been suggested as a potential cause of B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-NHL), as C. burnetii was detected in B-NHL tissues. To further investigate this potential relationship, we hypothesized that among subjects previously exposed to C. burnetii, the bacterium is more frequently detectable in tissues of patients with B-NHL (cases) compared to patients without B-NHL (controls). METHODS: We aimed to evaluate this hypothesis by assessing the presence of C. burnetii with polymerase chain reaction (PCR), immunofluorescence staining (IF) and fluorescent in-situ hybridization (FISH). Eligible patients were those previously exposed to C. burnetii. RESULTS: Samples were available for 13 cases and 16 controls. C. burnetii was demonstrated in tissues of 8/29 patients in total (28%), with either PCR, IF or FISH: in 5/13 cases (38%) and 3/16 controls (19%), p = 0.41. Negative and positive control samples were all negative and positive appropriately for all three diagnostic methods. CONCLUSIONS: In patients previously exposed to C. burnetii the bacterium was detected in tissue samples from subjects with and without B-NHL, without significant differences in the proportion positive samples. Therefore, we conclude that detection of C. burnetii in tissues of patients previously exposed to C. burnetii is a non-specific finding.
Authors: Jesper M Weehuizen; Sonja E van Roeden; Sander J Hogewoning; Wim van der Hoek; Marc J M Bonten; Andy I M Hoepelman; Chantal P Bleeker-Rovers; Peter C Wever; Jan Jelrik Oosterheert Journal: Int J Epidemiol Date: 2022-10-13 Impact factor: 9.685