Hepatitis C virus antibody (anti-HCV): prevalence in psoriasis.
BACKGROUND
In cases of psoriasis (PS), the etiology of the underlying liver disease is occasionally unknown. To investigate antibodies to hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV), their prevalence and clinical significance, 118 unselected outpatients with PS were studied prospectively.


METHODS
Anti-HCV was assayed in serum by second-generation enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), considering a serum anti-HCV (+), when the optical density ratio was equal to or greater than three times the cut-off value, in duplicate determinations, whereas anti-HBc, anti-HBs, HBsAg, anti-HBe, and HBeAg were also evaluated by ELISA, as were the transaminases. As controls we took the 1.2% anti-HCV prevalence found in 60,000 blood donors from Buenos Aires city.


RESULTS
Nine of 118 serum samples (7.6%) proved to be anti-HCV (+) (P < 0.001). There were no differences between positive and negative cases as regards gender, age, history of hepatitis, transfusions, or parenteral exposure, disease duration, or psoriasis type, and prior treatment with methotrexate and etretinate. Fifteen percent (17/113) were anti-HBc (+), 64.7% anti-HBs (+) (11/17) and 2.5% HBsAg (+) (3/17), whereas 3/17 (2.5%) showed isolated anti-HBc positivity. Liver biopsies in six anti-HCV patients disclosed four with chronic active hepatitis, one with cirrhosis, and one with steatosis.


CONCLUSIONS
In the presence of liver disease in PS patients, an HCV infection should be considered as an alternative diagnosis. The high anti-HCV prevalence in this series is attributable to infection by inapparent parenteral routes, through minute skin abrasions, as reported for hepatitis B virus in PS.
Chouela
E
E
Dermatology Unit, Cosme Argerich County Hospital, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Abeldaño
A
A
Panetta
J
J
Ducard
M
M
Neglia
V
V
Sookoian
S
S
Kina
M
M
Castaño
G
G
Vereytou
F
F
Frider
B
B
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D018963:Hepatitis Antigens / Q000097:blood; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D016751:Hepatitis E / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology*; D000637:Transaminases / Q000097:blood
D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D018963:Hepatitis Antigens; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D000637:Transaminases