Detection of hepatitis C virus antibodies and hepatitis C virus RNA in patients with alcoholic liver disease.
The prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibody was determined in 130 patients with alcoholic liver disease using a second-generation anti-HCV enzyme immunoassay (ELISA 2) and confirmed by a sensitive polymerase chain reaction procedure measuring HCV RNA. Hepatic disease was evaluated by clinical and biochemical studies and, whenever possible, by liver biopsy. Seventy-one patients were diagnosed as having cirrhosis, and 59 alcoholic hepatitis (n = 33) or fatty liver (n = 26). The prevalence of anti-HCV in the total group was 9.2% and did not differ significantly in the cirrhotics (11.3%) as compared with the non-cirrhotics (6.8%). HCV RNA was detected in six out of eight cirrhotics and three out of four non-cirrhotics who were ELISA 2 positive. A positive test for antibodies to hepatitis core antigen (anti-HBc) was more frequent in anti-HCV-positive patients (75%) than in the anti-HCV-negative group (14%, P < 0.001). Anti-HBc was also found more frequently in the cirrhotics (25.4%) than in the alcoholics without cirrhosis (11.9%). However, the prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen was equally low in both groups (cirrhotics 1.4%, non-cirrhotics 1.7%). No correlation was observed between the prevalence of anti-HCV antibodies and the severity of liver dysfunction. These results indicate that HCV, and especially HCV-viraemia, is less frequent in alcoholics in southern Germany than suspected in previous studies, and that the prevalence of HCV markers in alcoholics has been overestimated by ELISA 1 used alone.
Bode
J C
JC
Abteilung für Innere Medizin I, Robert-Bosch-Krankenhaus, Stuttgart, Germany.
Alscher
D M
DM
Wisser
H
H
Bode
C
C
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000276:immunology*; D017931:DNA Primers; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D008108:Liver Diseases, Alcoholic / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012367:RNA, Viral; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D017931:DNA Primers; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens; D012367:RNA, Viral