title: Hepatitis C virus genotypes and severity of chronic liver disease in haemophiliacs.
abstract: We studied the activity and stage of chronic liver disease in 45 HCV-seropositive/HIV-seronegative patients with severe haemophilia followed for at least 10 years. HCV-RNA was detected in serum in 36 patients (80%) Viraemic cases were further analysed for HCV genotypes: 10 (28%) were infected by type 1a, 10 (28%) by type 1b, seven (19%) by type 2, four (11%) by type 3, four (11%) had mixed infections (one by 1a + 1b, one by 1a + 2, one by type 2 + 3, and one by 1a + 2 + 3). ALT levels were within the normal range in 55% of the HCV-RNA negative patients but in only 11% of the viraemic cases. Results show a trend for higher levels of ALT in HCV-RNA-positive patients compared with those without viraemia (98 +/- 56 v 60 +/- 61), and particularly with patients with type 3 HCV infection (148 +/- 44). We suggest that a slow progression of chronic liver disease occurs in haemophilic HCV-positive/HIV-negative patients and conclude that presence of HCV-RNA in serum correlates well with cytolitic damage but, in the time-scale of our follow-up period, commonly used clinical-laboratory parameters cannot predict the chronic evolution of liver infection or identify differences in disease progression in relation to specific HCV subtypes.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Blood Diseases, Castelfranco Veneto Hospital, TV, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tagariello
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pontisso
authors.forename: P G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Davoli
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Ruvoletto
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Traldi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alberti
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001483:Base Sequence; D002648:Child; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005838:Genotype; D006467:Hemophilia A / Q000150:complications / Q000821:virology*; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral