[Immunoclinical, molecular and immunopathologic approach to chronic viral hepatitis. Therapeutic considerations]

Through a pilot study which includes a clinical, molecular and immunopathological approach to the chronic Hepatitis induced by HBV or by HCV, we determined that 66% of HBsAg carriers are in the "non viremic" phase. The positive HBeAg "viremic" carriers showed HBV-DNA quantitation which varies between > 50 pg to > 100 pg. Both types of carries are infected with the "wild" type HBV. Each subgroup of positive surface antigemia carriers demonstrated a differential immunopathological response. So far, 96% of the HCV carriers investigated, showed HCV-RNA associated to repeatedly positive anti-HCV antibodies. Those patients with increased ALT values uniformly expressed liver histopathological signs of inflammation caused by HCV; demonstrating also the presence of peripheral blood mononuclear cells infected with HCV. At the present, the genotypes investigation indicates a predominance of HCV genotype II (1b). Autoimmune phenomenons associated to HCV have been detected only in 3 patients. The therapeutic approach with interferon alpha applied to the HCV infection preliminary showed similar results to those reported worldwide. Currently, a comprehensive approach to the chronic HBV and chronic HCV infections requires the application of Immunochemistry, Molecular Biology and Cellular Immunology combined technologies.