Alpha heavy chain disease (αHCD) is a rare variant of the mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma characterized by expression of a monotypic truncated immunoglobulin α heavy chain. αHCD frequently involves the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, and its pathogenesis has been linked to clonal B-cell expansion from chronic immune stimulation by infectious agents. We report a rare case of GI αHCD with 5 concomitant pathogens identified on a GI multiplex real-time polymerase chain reaction panel, featured by persistent Campylobacter jejuni colonization and refractory giardiasis.
Keywords: Campylobacter jejuni; Giardia lamblia; Helicobacter pylori; extranodal marginal zone lymphoma; heavy chain disease; mucosa associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma.
© 2024 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. on behalf of The American College of Gastroenterology.