title: Transverse myelitis associated with chronic hepatitis C.
abstract: An infectious etiology is one of the postulated mechanisms for autoimmune diseases. An emergence of autoimmune phenomena associated with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has been reported. Transverse myelitis is an inflammatory disease of the spinal vasculature attributed to viral infections and to autoimmune diseases including systemic lupus erythematosus and the antiphospholipid syndrome. A 34-year-old male was admitted for the rapid onset of numbness of the lower extremities and urinary retention. His past history included hepatitis C infection. The neurological examination and MRI of the thoracic spine confirmed the diagnosis of transverse myelitis. Abnormal laboratory results were hyperglobulinemia, abnormal liver function tests, and positive ANF, anti-dsDNA antibodies, and p and c-ANCA. The patient was treated with high dose prednisone, then tapered to a low dose, but regained only partial neurological function after 15 months of prednisone therapy. Persistent neurological deficits and elevated ANF and ANCA were present at a follow-up of 30 months. We describe the first reported case of a patient with chronic HCV who developed transverse myelitis.
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Unit, Sheba Medical Center, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Israel.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zandman-Goddard
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Levy
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Weiss
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shoenfeld
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Langevitz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019268:Antibodies, Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic / Q000097:blood; D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear / Q000097:blood; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D006942:Hypergammaglobulinemia / Q000209:etiology; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D018716:Molecular Mimicry; D009188:Myelitis, Transverse / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae / Q000473:pathology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D019268:Antibodies, Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic; D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear; D011239:Prednisolone