[Hepatitis C virus infection and porphyria cutanea tarda]

The prevalence of antibodies versus the hepatitis C virus (antiHCV) was studied in a group of 10 patients diagnosed with porphyria cutanea tarda (PCT) and the possible existence of subclinical forms of PCT was determined in 64 patients with chronic anti HCV positive liver diseases. The prevalence of anti HCV was found to be 40% in patients with PCT. In the group of patients with chronic anti HCV positive liver disease only one patient (1.5%) presented an increase in the urinary elimination of porphyrias in the absence of cutaneous lesions of photosensitivity. This study confirms the importance of the hepatitis C virus as a triggering agent of PCT. These results demonstrate the existence of a low prevalence of subclinical forms of PCT among patients with chronic anti HCV positive liver diseases.