Hepatitis C virus infection among patients with chronic liver disease in an area hyperendemic for hepatitis B.
BACKGROUND
The prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection was assessed in patients with non-alcoholic chronic liver disease (CLD).


METHODS
Antibody levels to HCV (anti-HCV) were assessed in 100 pairs of CLD patients and healthy controls.


RESULTS
The prevalence of anti-HCV was higher in patients (26.0%) than in controls (2.0%; p = 0.0001). The patient group with anti-HCV was older (p = 0.0001) and had more smokers (p = 0.034), fewer hepatitis B surface antigen carriers (p = 0.0001), and more patients with active liver disease (p = 0.023) and a history of blood transfusion (p = 0.026). Multivariate analysis showed that anti-HCV (odds ratio, 8.1; 95% confidence intervals, 3.7-17.6) was strongly associated with CLD.


CONCLUSIONS
HCV infection is a risk factor of non-alcoholic CLD, and HCV causes more severe hepatocellular damage than HBV.
Tsai
J F
JF
Dept. of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical College, Taiwan.
Jeng
J E
JE
Chang
W Y
WY
Lin
Z Y
ZY
Tsai
J H
JH
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology
D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens