Hepatitis C virus-related liver damage is related to cold activation of complement.
A high positivity of cold activation of complement has been reported in Japanese patients having hepatitis B virus-negative chronic hepatitis. Although the cause of cold activation of complement is unknown, the involvement of hepatitis C virus (HCV) has been suspected. We studied the positivity of cold activation of complement in 253 patients, including 93 patients with chronic hepatitis C infection who received 6MU natural interferon-alpha per day for 24 continuous weeks. Cold activation was positive in 38% of patients with chronic hepatitis C and in 46% of patients with liver cirrhosis C. We did not detect cold activation in asymptomatic HCV carriers; patients with chronic hepatitis B, liver cirrhosis B, or alcohol-related liver damage; or in the controls. Cold activation was also negative in HCV-RNA-negative patients who responded completely to interferon-alpha, and in HCV-RNA-positive patients who responded partially whose serum alanine transaminase levels were normalized after interferon treatment. In the patients who had a relapse of hepatitis C after interferon treatment, positivity of cold activation increased sharply. We conclude that HCV-associated liver damage is related to the development of cold activation of complement. Cold activation is useful for monitoring the response to interferon in patients with chronic hepatitis C infection.
Nomura
H
H
Department of Internal Medicine, Shin-Kokura Hospital, Kitakyushu, Japan.
Ogo
T
T
Rikimaru
N
N
Ueno
S
S
Kakuno
T
T
Okamoto
O
O
Shiraishi
G
G
Kashiwagi
S
S
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D003080:Cold Temperature; D003167:Complement Activation; D015941:Complement Hemolytic Activity Assay; D003450:Cryoglobulins / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000276:immunology; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D006521:Hepatitis, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D012217:Rheumatoid Factor / Q000097:blood
D003450:Cryoglobulins; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D012367:RNA, Viral; D012217:Rheumatoid Factor; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase