[Immunological disorders in patients with chronic viral hepatitis type C].
Various immunological disorders have been observed frequently in patients with chronic viral hepatitis C. Hepatitis C virus has been implicated in the pathogenesis of: essential mixed cryoglobulinemia, cryoglobulinemic vasculitis glomerulonephritis, thrombocytopenia, porphyria cutanea tarda, autoimmune thyroiditis (among others).


OBJECTIVE
Was to determine the prevalence and clinical meaning of immunological disorders in HCV infected patients.


METHODS
93 HCV infected patients were studied with regard to the presence of cryoglobulins, autoantibodies, rheumatoid factor (RF) and circulating immunological complexes (CIC).


RESULTS
35 patients out of 93 (38%) had detectable cryoglobulins. Cryoglobulins in 90 cases were of type III and in 3--of type II. CIC /by immunoelectrophoresis of the PEG sediments/ were found in sera of 87 patients (93.5%). 38 persons (41%) had detectable rheumatoid factor. Antinuclear antibodies were found in sera of 15 patients (16%), anti-smooth muscles antibodies--in 21 persons (23%) and anti-LKM1 antibodies--in 5 (5%). Titers of autoantibodies were usually low. The most frequent clinical manifestations were arthralgia and skin changes.


CONCLUSIONS
Immunological disorders /circulating immune complexes (93.5%), autoantibodies (60%), rheumatoid factor (41%), cryoglobulinemia type III (38%)/ are frequently found in HCV infected patients. Age, gender, histological score and clinical evidence of liver cirrhosis do not influence on rate of these abnormalities. Clinical manifestations of immunological disorders are usually mild.
Jabłońska
J
J
Klinika Hepatologii i Nabytych Niedoborów Immunologicznych Instytutu Chorób Zakaźnych i Pasozytniczych AM w Warszawie. liver@zigzag.pl
Zabek
J
J
Kozłowska
J
J
Cianciara
J
J
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex / Q000097:blood*; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood*; D003450:Cryoglobulins / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D007154:Immune System Diseases / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D007122:Immunoelectrophoresis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012217:Rheumatoid Factor / Q000097:blood
D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex; D001323:Autoantibodies; D003450:Cryoglobulins; D012217:Rheumatoid Factor
Zaburzenia immunologiczne u chorych z przewlekłym wirusowym zapaleniem watroby typu C.