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Plasma fibronectin and serum complement C3 levels in chronic active hepatitis following virus "B" versus virus "C"
M M Abdel Rahman1, M S el Nasr, S A Mahmoud
1Department of Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Azhar University, Cairo.
Insights
Chronic active hepatitis (CAH) patients showed elevated fibronectin levels. Those with hepatitis C (CAH-C) had higher fibronectin than hepatitis B (CAH-B) patients, suggesting more inflammation in CAH-C.
Area of Science:
- Hepatology
- Immunology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Chronic active hepatitis (CAH) is an inflammatory liver condition.
- Distinguishing the severity of CAH based on viral etiology is crucial for patient management.
- Biomarkers can indicate disease activity and inflammatory processes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare plasma fibronectin and serum complement C3 levels in patients with CAH post hepatitis B versus CAH post hepatitis C.
- To assess the relationship between these biomarkers and the inflammatory status in different CAH groups.
Main Methods:
- Quantification of plasma fibronectin and serum complement C3 levels using biochemical assays.
- Comparison of biomarker levels between three groups: CAH post-B (n=30), CAH post-C (n=30), and healthy controls (n=20).
Main Results:
- Significantly elevated fibronectin levels were observed in CAH patients compared to healthy controls.
- Fibronectin levels were significantly higher in CAH patients with hepatitis C compared to those with hepatitis B.
- No significant differences in serum complement C3 levels were found across the studied groups.
Conclusions:
- Plasma fibronectin may serve as a potential indicator of inflammatory damage in chronic active hepatitis.
- Hepatitis C infection might be associated with a more pronounced inflammatory response in CAH compared to hepatitis B infection.
Abstract:
Plasma fibronectin and serum complement C3 levels were estimated in 30 patients with chronic active hepatitis (CAH) post virus "B" and another 30 patients with CAH post virus "C" as well as 20 normal healthy subjects. Fibronectin level was significantly increased in CAH when compared to normal controls. Moreover, fibronectin level was significantly increased in CAH following virus "C" when compared to CAH following virus "B" hepatitis. Concerning complement C3 there was no significant changes in the different groups studied. We may conclude that CAH following virus "C" may lead to vigorous inflammatory damage than CAH following virus "B" infection.