Serum HCV-RNA levels in patients with chronic hepatitis C: Correlation with histological features

Liver disease in chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection ranges from minimal lesion to liver cirrhosis and sometimes eventually evolving hepatocellular carcinoma. Whether and how HCV determines the different clinical and histological manifestation of the disease is not fully understood. It has not been clearly elucidated whether the extent of liver injury induced by HCV is influenced mainly by direct cytopathic damage or by an immune-mediated response against HCV-infected hepatocytes. The aim of this study is to verify whether the amount of virus in individual patient's serum could be related to the severity of liver injury.

This study was carried out in the Gastroenterology and Hepatology Teaching Hospital, Medical City, Baghdad. Serum levels of HCV-RNA were measured in 27 patients with chronic HCV using b-DNA assay. Core liver biopsies of the patients were evaluated according to Ishak histological activity index system.

The serum HCV RNA concentrations in the patients ranged from 3.2×10(3) to 1.2×10(7)copies/ml. In all patients no correlation was observed between the variable levels of viraemia and the age of the patients. Furthermore no correlations were observed between the serum HCV RNA concentrations and the biochemical liver function test levels: Total serum bilirubin, AST, ALT, and alkaline phosphatase. Histologically; patients were categorized into four subgroups: four patients (14.8%) had minimal activity, 17 patients (63%) had mild activity, and six patients (22.2%) had moderate activity. No significant correlation was found between viraemic levels and these histological findings or their individual components: Interface hepatitis, confluent necrosis, intralobular liver cell necrosis and portal inflammation. According to the stage of the fibrosis, the patients were categorized into seven subgroups: one patient (3.7%) with stage zero, seven patients with stage one (25.9%), four patients with stage two (14.9%), eight patients with stage three (29.6%), three patients with stage four (11.1%), two patients with stage five (7.4%), and two patients in cirrhotic stage six (7.4%). There was no correlation between the serum HCV RNA concentration and the stage of fibrosis. Hepatic steatosis was observed in 16/27 patients. It was mild in nine patients, moderate in five patients, and severe in two patients. Correlation has not been observed between the serum HCV RNA viraemic level and the severity of steatosis.

Serum HCV-RNA level does not determine the degree of hepatic injury precisely and liver biopsy is necessary to accurately evaluate the extent of liver damage.