[Chronic hepatitis C/autoimmune hepatitis overlap syndrome: report of two cases]

The coexistence of non-organ specific autoantibodies and chronic hepatitis C features raises the dilemma as to whether the pathogenesis is viral or autoimmune and consequently to be treated with interferon or corticosteroids. Two cases with autoimmune characteristics and chronic hepatitis C are reported. We discuss the possibility of classifying this overlap form in three distinct entities: viral disease with an autoimmune epiphenomenon ("false hepatitis C/autoimmune hepatitis overlap syndrome"), viral disease associated to an autoimmune pathogenic component ("true hepatitis C/autoimmune hepatitis overlap syndrome") and false serological anti-HCV positivity in classical autoimmune hepatitis. In our experience the interferon/corticosteroid association was successful.