title: Familial clustering of (mostly) HCV-related cirrhosis. A case-control study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Increased prevalence of cirrhosis in cirrhotics' families in previous studies.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To compare the prevalence of cirrhosis in cirrhotics' families with that in families of patients with non-hepatic diseases.
  
  
  METHODS
  Case-control study including 500 index cases with cirrhosis and 500 pair-matched controls with chronic non-hepatic diseases, interviewed about cirrhosis in first-degree relatives and spouses using standardized forms.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ninety-three index cases (88% anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV)-positive) and 13 controls had one or more cirrhotics among first-degree relatives and/or spouses (odds ratio (OR) 7.38, 95% confidence interval (CI) 4.21-12.9); cirrhosis was found in 123/4485 first-degree relatives of the index cases and in 16/4086 of controls (OR 7.17 95% CI 4.25-12.09), in 14/467 spouses of the index cases and in 1/416 spouses of controls (OR 12.8, 95% CI 1.67-97.96). The percentage of secondary cases in the families of 440 anti-HCV-positive and 60 anti-HCV-negative index cases was similar (18.8 and 21.6%, respectively). Almost all the secondary cases in families of anti-HCV-positive index cases and none in families of anti-HCV-negative index cases were anti-HCV-positive.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cirrhosis is significantly more frequent among first-degree relatives and spouses of patients with cirrhosis, mostly HCV-related, than among first-degree relatives and spouses of controls.
authors.affiliation: Clinica Medica R, Università degli Studi, Palermo, Italy. luigi.pagliaro13@tin.it
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pagliaro
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pasta
authors.forename: Gennaro
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: D'Amico
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Madonia
authors.forename: Giada
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pietrosi
mesh_terms: D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D005260:Female; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D018454:Spouses