[Hepatitis C virus infection in patients with porphyria]

Hepatitis C virus antibodies were studied in sera coming from 39 patients with porphyria (cutanea tarda in 17, variegate in 8, intermittent acute in 4, coproporphyria in 2 and protoporphyria in 8). Nine of 17 patients with porphyria cutanea tarda had positive antibodies, but none of the patients with other types of porphyria. All subjects with porphyria cutanea tarda had histological or laboratory liver abnormalities. There was no relationship between the presence of antibodies and frequency of alcoholism, diabetes, or carbohydrate intolerance. Family background of porphyria was significantly less frequent among patients with positive hepatitis C virus antibodies. In 13 patients, a liver biopsy was performed, always showing signs of chronic hepatitis, whose magnitude was higher in those with positive antibodies. It is concluded that, as reported previously, hepatitis C virus may be an activating factor for porphyria cutanea tarda or may potentiate its accompanying liver disease.