title: Human immunodeficiency virus infection and hepatitis C pathology.
abstract: To investigate the possible influence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection on hepatitis C virus-related liver disease, liver morphology was evaluated in 160 HBsAg-negative patients with chronic hepatitis C, including 68 HIV-positive and 92 HIV-negative cases. No differences were detected in the severity of necro-inflammatory hepatic lesions between HIV-negative and HIV-positive patients when the CD4+ lymphocytes count exceeded 400 cells/mm3. In contrast, HIV-positive patients with CD4+ lymphocytes below 400 cells/mm3 showed a significantly lower grade of portal inflammation and piecemeal necrosis. These results suggest that liver lesions in hepatitis C may largely depend on immunomediated mechanisms.
authors.affiliation: Cattedra di Istochimica ed Immunoistochimica Patologica, Università di Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Guido
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rugge
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fattovich
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rocchetto
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cassaro
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chemello
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Noventa
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Giustina
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alberti
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies