Abstract 1216: Virome characterization in different types of non-Hodgkin lymphoma
Authors: Siqueira Juliana D. , Soares Esmeralda A. , Soares Marcelo A. 
Published: June 2023

Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) is a heterogeneous group of lymphoid tissue neoplasms, with different clinical, genetic and morphological aspects. It is the most common form of hematological malignancy worldwide. In addition to risk factors, some infectious agents cause or are related to the risk of developing NHL. These include Epstein Barr virus (EBV), human herpes virus 8, human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1, human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis C virus, and the H. pylori. Overall, cancer attributable to infections accounted for 15.4% of new cases in 2012, and this number may increase due to improvements in molecular methodologies. Recently, other infectious agents have been associated with NHL, such as human pegivirus and cutavirus. Although factors related to immune function and the infectious agents described play a relevant role in the etiology of NHL, these factors do not explain most cases, suggesting that others factors or infectious agents could be involved in NHL development. Identifying possible pathogens associated with NHL and understanding the cancer-infectious agents relationship is essential for the development of prevention and screening aproaches. The aim of this study is to characterize the viral composition of the tumor microbiome in different types of NHL. Tumor tissue samples from NHL stored at the Brazilian National Cancer Institute were processed for viral DNA and RNA extraction. The viral nucleic acids were prepared for 19 samples with the Nextera XT kit and sequenced on an Illumina MiSeq platform. Virus identification analyses were performed by comparing the sequences obtained with viral sequences in the GenBank database through the BLASTX tool. Most samples were from diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL; n = 11), followed by marginal zone and follicular lymphoma (three cases each), and small lymphocytic and non-B, non-T cell lymphoma (one case each). A median of 46% of the obtained reads mapped to the human genome. Among the remaining reads, four viral families were identified: Anelloviridae, Flaviviridae, Herpesviridae and Papillomaviridae. EBV, a herpervirus associated with different types of NHL, was found in one gastric DLBCL. Anelloviridae reads included only the genus Alphatorquevirus and were found in five DLBCL. This virus family has a ubiquitous presence, without any clinical manifestation so far described in humans. However, anellovirus viral load has been associated with the subject’s immune status. Different human papillomaviruses from the Alpha, Beta and Gamma genera were found in six samples, comprising follicular lymphoma and DLBCL. The flavivirus human pegivirus was found in one DLBCL. Some recent studies associated this later virus with risk of lymphoma. In summary, this study describes the viral diversity found in NHL, showing the presence of viruses not yet associated with this neoplasia. Additional studies are warranted to clarify the role of these viruses in the etiology of NHL.

Citation Format: Juliana D. Siqueira, Esmeralda A. Soares, Marcelo A. Soares. Virome characterization in different types of non-Hodgkin lymphoma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 1216.