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[Immunological disorders in patients with chronic viral hepatitis type C]
J Jabłońska1, J Zabek, J Kozłowska
1Klinika Hepatologii i Nabytych Niedoborów Immunologicznych Instytutu Chorób Zakaźnych i Pasozytniczych AM w Warszawie. liver@zigzag.pl
Unlabelled:
Various immunological disorders have been observed frequently in patients with chronic viral hepatitis C. Hepatitis C virus has been implicated in the pathogenesis of: essential mixed cryoglobulinemia, cryoglobulinemic vasculitis glomerulonephritis, thrombocytopenia, porphyria cutanea tarda, autoimmune thyroiditis (among others).
Aim Of The Study:
Was to determine the prevalence and clinical meaning of immunological disorders in HCV infected patients.
Methods:
93 HCV infected patients were studied with regard to the presence of cryoglobulins, autoantibodies, rheumatoid factor (RF) and circulating immunological complexes (CIC).
Results:
35 patients out of 93 (38%) had detectable cryoglobulins. Cryoglobulins in 90 cases were of type III and in 3--of type II. CIC /by immunoelectrophoresis of the PEG sediments/ were found in sera of 87 patients (93.5%). 38 persons (41%) had detectable rheumatoid factor. Antinuclear antibodies were found in sera of 15 patients (16%), anti-smooth muscles antibodies--in 21 persons (23%) and anti-LKM1 antibodies--in 5 (5%). Titers of autoantibodies were usually low. The most frequent clinical manifestations were arthralgia and skin changes.
Conclusion:
Immunological disorders /circulating immune complexes (93.5%), autoantibodies (60%), rheumatoid factor (41%), cryoglobulinemia type III (38%)/ are frequently found in HCV infected patients. Age, gender, histological score and clinical evidence of liver cirrhosis do not influence on rate of these abnormalities. Clinical manifestations of immunological disorders are usually mild.