title: [Role of hepatitis C virus in the genesis of hepatic lesions observed in alcoholic patients with liver cirrhosis].
abstract: The aim of study was to assess the role of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in 164 alcoholic cirrhotic patients. We studied the prevalence of anti-HCV antibodies using ELISA and RIBA first and second generation tests. Twenty-two % of the patients had anti-HCV antibodies detected by ELISA 2, RIBA 2 test was positive in 10% of the patients and indeterminate in 3%. We compared epidemiological, biological and histological characteristics according to the results of the tests. By comparing ELISA 2-RIBA 2 positive patients to ELISA 2 negative patients, we observed, in the former, a) a higher serum aminotransferase activity, b) a lower serum gammaglutamyl transpeptidase activity, and c) a lower histological score of alcoholic hepatitis. In addition, in a group of ELISA 2 positive RIBA 2 negative patients, the values were intermediate between those of the two former groups. However, most of these patients had a negative third generation ELISA test. The whole results suggest that HCV is likely to play a role in the pathogenesis of liver damage in a high number of alcoholic cirrhotic patients.
authors.affiliation: Service de Bactériologie-Virologie, Hôpital Avicenne, Bobigny.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Deny
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Halimi
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Trinchet
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Munz
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bianchi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mal
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Beaugrand
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D000431:Ethanol / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008104:Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D005719:gamma-Globulins / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D005719:gamma-Globulins; D000431:Ethanol; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase