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. 2010 Jul 10;1(1):23–35. doi: 10.1007/s13317-010-0005-5

Hepatitis C virus and autoimmunity

Barbara C Böckle 1,✉, Norbert T Sepp 1
PMCID: PMC4389064  PMID: 26000104

Abstract

Hepatitis C virus infection is associated with several extrahepatic manifestations. About 60% of patients infected with HCV develop at least one extrahepatic manifestation. The majority of these diseases seem to be triggered through autoimmune mechanisms, such as autoantibody production, autoreactive T cells and complex autoimmune mechanisms leading to systemic autoimmune disorders. In this review we categorize these diseases into three groups according to the main pathogenetic process involved, in particular B-cell-mediated, T-cell-mediated and complex autoimmune systemic diseases.

Keywords: Hepatitis C, Extrahepatic manifestations, Autoimmune mechanism, Mixed cryoglobulinaemia vasculitis, Lymphoma

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