title: Association of hepatitis C virus infection with chronic liver disease in paediatric cancer patients.
abstract: A total of 203 paediatric cancer treatment survivors were tested for serum antibodies against hepatitis-C virus (anti-HCV). Anti-HCV was detected in 41 patients (20.2%) with first generation anti-HCV ELISA. Positive results were confirmed in all samples retested with a second generation ELISA (n = 35) and in all but two cases re-analysed by immunoblotting (n = 23). Anti-HCV positive children had received significantly more blood product transfusions compared to seronegative patients. In 75 children (32%) chronic liver disease was found. It was defined as an elevation of serum alanine aminotransferase values to a least 2.5 times the upper limit of normal persisting for 6 months or longer. Hepatitis A was never detected, and in 58 children the chronic hepatopathy was unexplained by hepatitis B (non-A non-B chronic liver disease). Of these patients 29 (50%) were seropositive for anti-HCV. Surprisingly, non-A/non-B chronic liver disease was associated with anti-HCV in 14 of 19 solid tumour patients (78.9%), but in no more than 14 of 39 leukaemia and lymphoma patients (35.9%). This phenomenon was not explained by different rates of cytomegalovirus disease and drug toxicity related hepatopathies between the two groups. It may be related to differences of leukaemia/lymphoma compared to solid tumour therapy schedules (differential immunosuppression and liver toxicity).
authors.affiliation: St. Anna Children's Hospital, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: F M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Fink
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Höcker-Schulz
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Mor
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Puchhammer-Stöckl
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hofmann
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zoubek
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pawlowsky
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Höcker
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gadner
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology*; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D006801:Humans; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy
chemical_list: D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies