Hepatitis C virus infection in systemic lupus erythematosus: a case-control study

Area of Science:

• Rheumatology
• Virology
• Hepatology

Background:

• Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease potentially triggered by viruses.
• Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection can cause extrahepatic manifestations mimicking connective tissue diseases like SLE.
• The association between SLE and HCV infection requires further investigation due to limited reports.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between HCV infection and SLE.
• To compare clinical and serological features of SLE in HCV-positive versus HCV-negative patients.
• To assess the impact of SLE and steroid therapy on HCV infection course.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective case-control study of 19 SLE patients with anti-HCV antibodies versus 42 SLE patients without anti-HCV antibodies.
• Patients were matched for age and sex from a cohort of 700 SLE patients.
• Review of SLE and HCV infection features, including clinical manifestations, autoantibodies, complement levels, and liver function tests.

Main Results:

• No significant difference in lupus clinical manifestations, autoantibodies (anti-nuclear, anti-dsDNA, anti-ENA), or complement levels between HCV-positive and negative SLE patients.
• Higher prevalence of cryoglobulin in HCV-positive SLE patients (p < 0.04), but no cases of mixed cryoglobulinemia syndrome.
• Moderate biochemical and pathological liver disease severity in HCV-positive SLE patients; steroid therapy did not appear to alter HCV course.

Conclusions:

• HCV infection in SLE patients is characterized by increased cryoglobulin prevalence without mixed cryoglobulinemia syndrome.
• HCV infection exhibits moderate biochemical and liver pathological severity in the SLE population.
• SLE, with or without steroid treatment, does not appear to exacerbate HCV infection.