Familial clustering of (mostly) HCV-related cirrhosis. A case-control study.
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.
Pagliaro
Luigi
L
Clinica Medica R, Università degli Studi, Palermo, Italy. luigi.pagliaro13@tin.it
Pasta
Linda
L
D'Amico
Gennaro
G
Madonia
Salvatore
S
Pietrosi
Giada
G
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