Relationship between hepatitis C virus subtypes and clinical features of liver disease seen in alcoholics.
The influence of hepatitis C virus and its subtypes on the clinical course of liver disease in alcoholics was assessed. Hepatitis C virus infection was confirmed by a reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction method for the hepatitis C virus NS-5 region in the sera of alcoholics with various stages of histologically proven liver disease. The frequency of hepatitis C virus was significantly higher in alcoholics with chronic hepatitis (73%) than in those with liver fibrosis (18%), alcoholic hepatitis (17%), and fatty liver (0%). Hepatitis C virus subtypes, namely K1 and K2, were determined by dot-blot hybridization analysis of the polymerase chain reaction products with specific probes, and their frequencies were 68% and 32%, respectively. The proportion of patients whose serum transaminase levels returned to normal following 4 weeks of abstinence in hospital was significantly lower in alcoholics with hepatitis C virus viremia (glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase: 53.8%; glutamic pyruvic transaminase: 42.3%) than in those without viremia (glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase: 86.2%, p < 0.01; glutamic pyruvic transaminase: 89.7%, p < 0.01). When alcoholics with the K1 and K2 subtypes of hepatitis C virus were compared, normalization of transaminase levels was less frequent in alcoholics with K1 (glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase: 42.8%; glutamic pyruvic transaminase: 28.6%) than in those with K2 (glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase: 88.9%, p < 0.05; glutamic pyruvic transaminase: 77.8%, P < 0.05). These data indicate that hepatitis C virus infection is associated with a reduced rate of recovery of serum transminase levels following abstinence in subjects with alcoholic liver disease, more so in the K1 subtype than in the K2 subtype.
Yokoyama
H
H
Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan.
Ishii
H
H
Moriya
S
S
Nagata
S
S
Watanabe
T
T
Kamegaya
K
K
Takahashi
H
H
Maruyama
K
K
Haber
P
P
Tsuchiya
M
M
D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008108:Liver Diseases, Alcoholic / Q000097:blood / Q000821:virology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D000637:Transaminases / Q000097:blood; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
D012367:RNA, Viral; D000637:Transaminases