title: Hepatitis C virus in patients with polyarteritis nodosa. Prevalence in 38 patients.
abstract: In order to assess the prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in polyarteritis nodosa (PN), 38 patients with systemic necrotizing angiitis were retrospectively tested for the presence of anti-HCV antibodies (Ab). Twenty-one patients were hepatitis B virus (HBV) positive, comprising group A, and 17 were HBV negative, comprising group B. Two patients from group A had anti-HCV Ab (2/21: 9.5%). One was treated unsuccessfully with corticosteroids, then with vidarabine and plasma exchanges; HBe/anti-HBe seroconversion was not observed and anti-HCV Ab disappeared 8 months after the onset of PN. The second patient was successfully treated with corticosteroids, then vidarabine and plasma exchanges; he recovered from PN, HBV seroconversion occurred, and the anti HCV Ab remained detectable. These results show that: 1) the prevalence of anti HCV Ab in PN related to HBV is nearly the same (9.5%) as the prevalence of HCV Ab observed in patients with chronic hepatitis related to HBV infection; 2) the course of these two viral infections can be different and the role of HCV as an etiologic factor in PN has not been established.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University Paris-Nord, Bobigny, France.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Quint
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Deny
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Guillevin
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Granger
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jarrousse
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lhote
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Scavizzi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010488:Polyarteritis Nodosa / Q000097:blood / Q000382:microbiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies