The role of viruses in etiopathogenesis of non-Hodgkin lymphomas

The present article is a summary of current knowledge on mechanisms of viral etiopathogenesis in non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHL). Some data has proved an oncogenic significance of Epstein-Barr (EBV) and human T-cell leukemia/lymphoma virus type I (HTLV-I). In case of others, including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1 and HIV-2), hepatitis type C (HCV), cytomegalovirus (CMV), human herpesvirus type 8 (HHV-8), SV-40 or HTLV-II, there are some evidences suggesting their participation in the development of NHL, however their real role in this phenomenon has not been proved so far. Scientific insights into ethiopathogenesis of NHL provide not only theoretical value but also important diagnostic and therapeutic implications in this group of malignancies.