Hepatitis B virus genotypes and extrahepatic manifestations.
OBJECTIVE
This study aimed at correlating the presence of extrahepatic manifestations with hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotypes in patients with chronic HBV infection.


METHODS
This was a national (France), multicenter, retrospective, cross-sectional study. HBV genotypes were determined in 190 patients HBsAg-positive for at least 6 months and documented before any treatment.


RESULTS
Patients were aged 42+/-15 years and mainly male (77%). Alcohol intake was high in 6% of them, ALT elevated in 73%; 27% were cirrhotic. All HBV genotypes were found, mainly A (24%), D (29%), C (11%), and E (10%). Thirty (16%) patients had clinical extrahepatic manifestations, mainly sensory-motor deficiency, sicca syndrome, myalgia, glomerulonephritis, and arthralgia-arthritis. Their presence was not related to any epidemiologic, viral (including genotypes) or hepatic factor, but to a higher platelet count (P=0.004). Twenty-nine (15%) patients had biological extrahepatic manifestations, mainly anti-smooth muscle, antinuclear, and anti-nucleosome antibodies. Their presence was related only to anti-HBe antibodies positivity (P=0.007) or elevated platelet count (P=0.003). Carrying precore mutant HBV increased by 2.8 folds the risk to have at least one extrahepatic biological manifestation.


CONCLUSIONS
No relationships between HBV genotypes and the presence of extrahepatic manifestations were evidenced in patients with chronic HBV infection.
Cacoub
Patrice
P
Department of Internal Medicine, Hôpital La Pitié-Salpêtrière, 83 Boulevard de l'Hôpital, 75651 Paris Cedex 13, France. patrice.cacoub@psl.ap-hop-paris.fr
Saadoun
David
D
Bourlière
Marc
M
Khiri
Hacene
H
Martineau
Agnes
A
Benhamou
Yves
Y
Varastet
Marina
M
Pol
Stanislas
S
Thibault
Vincent
V
Rotily
Michel
M
Halfon
Philippe
P
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005602:France; D005838:Genotype; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013223:Statistics as Topic