Skip to main content
PMC home page
Journal of Clinical Pathology logoLink to Journal of Clinical Pathology
. 1994 Feb;47(2):148–151. doi: 10.1136/jcp.47.2.148

Chronic liver disease and active hepatitis C virus infection in patients with antibodies to this virus.

E Petrelli 1, A Manzin 1, S Paolucci 1, A Cioppi 1, M Brugia 1, P Muretto 1, M Clementi 1
PMCID: PMC501830  PMID: 7510725

Abstract

AIMS--To assess the association between active hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and liver damage in randomly selected patients with antibodies to the virus. METHODS--Thirty three consecutive subjects with serologically confirmed positivity for antibodies to HCV were studied for the presence of liver and circulating viral sequences by using the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and specific primers for the 5'-untranslated region (5'-UTR) of the HCV genome. Parallel clinical, biochemical, and histological investigations were carried out in all cases. RESULTS--A comparative virological and histological investigation showed the presence of molecular signs of active viral replication and different degrees of liver damage in all cases. Baseline values of liver and plasma samples from all the patients showed (with one exception) the presence of detectable HCV RNA sequences, despite alanine amino transferase activities being within normal values or within 1.5 times the upper limit of normal in 13 of them. Examination of percutaneous liver biopsy specimens showed the presence of confirmed liver damage (ranging from chronic persistent hepatitis to cirrhosis) in all 33 patients. CONCLUSIONS--Circulating HCV RNA sequences (a direct sign of active HCV infection) are associated with liver damage, even in the absence of clinical or biochemical signs of overt liver disease. Parallel molecular, histological, and clinical follow up of these patients is needed to understand precisely the natural history of HCV infection and for correct clinical management.

Full text

PDF
151

Images in this article

150Image
on p.150

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Alberti A., Morsica G., Chemello L., Cavalletto D., Noventa F., Pontisso P., Ruol A. Hepatitis C viraemia and liver disease in symptom-free individuals with anti-HCV. Lancet. 1992 Sep 19;340(8821):697–698. doi: 10.1016/0140-6736(92)92234-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Brillanti S., Foli M., Gaiani S., Masci C., Miglioli M., Barbara L. Persistent hepatitis C viraemia without liver disease. Lancet. 1993 Feb 20;341(8843):464–465. doi: 10.1016/0140-6736(93)90210-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Bruix J., Barrera J. M., Calvet X., Ercilla G., Costa J., Sanchez-Tapias J. M., Ventura M., Vall M., Bruguera M., Bru C. Prevalence of antibodies to hepatitis C virus in Spanish patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and hepatic cirrhosis. Lancet. 1989 Oct 28;2(8670):1004–1006. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(89)91015-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Chomczynski P., Sacchi N. Single-step method of RNA isolation by acid guanidinium thiocyanate-phenol-chloroform extraction. Anal Biochem. 1987 Apr;162(1):156–159. doi: 10.1006/abio.1987.9999. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Choo Q. L., Kuo G., Weiner A. J., Overby L. R., Bradley D. W., Houghton M. Isolation of a cDNA clone derived from a blood-borne non-A, non-B viral hepatitis genome. Science. 1989 Apr 21;244(4902):359–362. doi: 10.1126/science.2523562. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Farci P., Alter H. J., Wong D., Miller R. H., Shih J. W., Jett B., Purcell R. H. A long-term study of hepatitis C virus replication in non-A, non-B hepatitis. N Engl J Med. 1991 Jul 11;325(2):98–104. doi: 10.1056/NEJM199107113250205. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Garson J. A., Lenzi M., Ring C., Cassani F., Ballardini G., Briggs M., Tedder R. S., Bianchi F. B. Hepatitis C viraemia in adults with type 2 autoimmune hepatitis. J Med Virol. 1991 Aug;34(4):223–226. doi: 10.1002/jmv.1890340405. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Garson J. A., Tuke P. W., Makris M., Briggs M., Machin S. J., Preston F. E., Tedder R. S. Demonstration of viraemia patterns in haemophiliacs treated with hepatitis-C-virus-contaminated factor VIII concentrates. Lancet. 1990 Oct 27;336(8722):1022–1025. doi: 10.1016/0140-6736(90)92487-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Kagawa T., Saito H., Tada S., Tsunematsu S., Morizane T., Tsuchiya M. Is hepatitis C virus cytopathic? Lancet. 1993 Jan 30;341(8840):316–317. doi: 10.1016/0140-6736(93)92679-n. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Kaneko S., Unoura M., Kobayashi K., Kuno K., Murakami S., Hattori N. Detection of serum hepatitis C virus RNA. Lancet. 1990 Apr 21;335(8695):976–976. doi: 10.1016/0140-6736(90)91042-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Kumar R., Goedert J. J., Hughes S. H. A method for the rapid screening of human blood samples for the presence of HIV-1 sequences: the probe-shift assay. AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses. 1989 Jun;5(3):345–354. doi: 10.1089/aid.1989.5.345. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Michel G., Ritter A., Gerken G., Meyer zum Büschenfelde K. H., Decker R., Manns M. P. Anti-GOR and hepatitis C virus in autoimmune liver diseases. Lancet. 1992 Feb 1;339(8788):267–269. doi: 10.1016/0140-6736(92)91332-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Misiani R., Bellavita P., Fenili D., Borelli G., Marchesi D., Massazza M., Vendramin G., Comotti B., Tanzi E., Scudeller G. Hepatitis C virus infection in patients with essential mixed cryoglobulinemia. Ann Intern Med. 1992 Oct 1;117(7):573–577. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-117-7-573. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Navas S., Castillo I., Carreno V. Detection of plus and minus HCV RNA in normal liver of anti-HCV-positive patients. Lancet. 1993 Apr 3;341(8849):904–905. doi: 10.1016/0140-6736(93)93120-p. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Pechère-Bertschi A., Perrin L., de Saussure P., Widmann J. J., Giostra E., Schifferli J. A. Hepatitis C: a possible etiology for cryoglobulinaemia type II. Clin Exp Immunol. 1992 Sep;89(3):419–422. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2249.1992.tb06973.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Prince A. M., Brotman B., Huima T., Pascual D., Jaffery M., Inchauspé G. Immunity in hepatitis C infection. J Infect Dis. 1992 Mar;165(3):438–443. doi: 10.1093/infdis/165.3.438. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Shimizu Y. K., Weiner A. J., Rosenblatt J., Wong D. C., Shapiro M., Popkin T., Houghton M., Alter H. J., Purcell R. H. Early events in hepatitis C virus infection of chimpanzees. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1990 Aug;87(16):6441–6444. doi: 10.1073/pnas.87.16.6441. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Weiner A. J., Geysen H. M., Christopherson C., Hall J. E., Mason T. J., Saracco G., Bonino F., Crawford K., Marion C. D., Crawford K. A. Evidence for immune selection of hepatitis C virus (HCV) putative envelope glycoprotein variants: potential role in chronic HCV infections. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1992 Apr 15;89(8):3468–3472. doi: 10.1073/pnas.89.8.3468. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Zaaijer H. L., Cuypers H. T., Reesink H. W., Winkel I. N., Gerken G., Lelie P. N. Reliability of polymerase chain reaction for detection of hepatitis C virus. Lancet. 1993 Mar 20;341(8847):722–724. doi: 10.1016/0140-6736(93)90488-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Zignego A. L., Macchia D., Monti M., Thiers V., Mazzetti M., Foschi M., Maggi E., Romagnani S., Gentilini P., Bréchot C. Infection of peripheral mononuclear blood cells by hepatitis C virus. J Hepatol. 1992 Jul;15(3):382–386. doi: 10.1016/0168-8278(92)90073-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Clinical Pathology are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES