title: Antibodies to hepatitis C virus and chronic hypertransaminasemia in southern Italy.
abstract: In an ecographic survey for gallstones, executed on a systematic sample from the municipal electoral roll of a town in Southern Italy, 164 subjects were found with ALT more than twice the upper normal limit (unl). Five years later 138 of these were re-examined; 76 still had ALT greater than 2 unl (group A), 41 still abnormal (group B) and 21 normal (group C). Anti-HCV antibodies were found in 52 subjects of group A (68%). 18 of group B (44%) and 2 of group C (9.5%). The odds ratio of ALT greater than 2 unl (A vs C) in anti-HCV+ was 20.6 and of a still elevated ALT (A + B vs C) was 14.1. Logistic regression was used to eliminate the effect of possible confounding factors (sex, age, alcohol, drugs, HBV markers) on the relationship chronic ALT increase and anti-HCV positivity but the odds ratio was still 18.9 (A vs C) and 11 (A + B vs C). These findings suggest that anti-HCV antibodies are strongly associated with chronic hypertransaminasemia at the population level in Southern Italy.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Clinica Medica II, Università di Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fiore
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Buongiorno
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Misciagna
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Napoli
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Quaranta
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Miccolis
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Guerra
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Giorgio
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Schiraldi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology*; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology; D006521:Hepatitis, Chronic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D000410:Alanine Transaminase