Extrahepatic immunologic manifestations in chronic hepatitis C and hepatitis C virus serotypes

Article Abstract:

Infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) appears to be associated with immunologic disorders in many patients. HCV is a cause of chronic liver inflammation. Researchers tested 59 patients with chronic hepatitis C to determine the infecting strain of HCV and for markers of immunologic disorders outside of the liver. These markers included cryoglobulin (a protein associated with various disorders), rheumatoid factor (antibodies associated with chronic arthritis and other connective tissue diseases), and various other autoantibodies. Thirty-six percent of the patients tested positive for cryoglobulin, 71% had abnormal levels of rheumatoid factor, and 41% tested positive for at least one type of autoantibody. There did not seem to be any significant differences among patients with different strains of HCV. Among 49 patients who had salivary gland biopsies, 49% showed evidence of inflammatory lesions, also with no difference according to HCV strain.

Risk factors, Immunologic diseases

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Hepatitis C: a multifaceted disease: review of extrahepatic manifestations

Article Abstract:

There appears to be a correlation between hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections and cryoglobulinemia, porphyria cutanea tarda, and membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis disorders. Researchers reviewed the current literature to determine any correlation between HCV and a variety of disorders and to evaluate the use of interferon-alpha therapy to treat these disorders. Studies have shown that between 81% and 96% of patients with cryoglobulinemia also test positive for HCV. Other studies have found that between 62% and 82% of patients with porphyria also carry the antibody to HCV. One study of 8 patients with membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis found that all 8 patients also had HCV infection. One study found that 60% of patients with both cryoglobulinemia and HCV treated with interferon-alpha responded favorably. Studies have not shown interferon-alpha therapy to be effective with any of the other disorders.

Research, Glomerulonephritis, Cryoglobulinemia, Porphyria

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Distribution of hepatitis C virus genotypes determined by line probe assay in patients with chronic hepatitis C seen at tertiary referral centers in the United States

Article Abstract:

Line probe assays may be a reasonably accurate genetic test to determine hepatitis C virus (HCV) subtypes. Researchers evaluated how reproducible line probe assays were in comparison with at least one of six standard HCV tests given to 438 patients with an HCV infection. They also evaluated the frequency and characteristics of each HCV subtype in this study group. There was 100% agreement among all six standard HCV tests and the line probe assay among the 137 patients evaluated with all these tests. There was 98.2% agreement between the restriction fragment length polymorphism test and the line probe assay among 342 patients evaluated with these two tests. The most frequent HCV subtypes were 1a and 1b and the most frequent source of these infection subtypes (50%) appeared to originate with a blood transfusion. Differences in disease and patient characteristics were minimal.

Genetic aspects, Genotype, Genotypes, Identification and classification, Hepatitis C virus

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