title: Prevalence of active hepatitis C virus infection in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is associated with various autoimmune disorders and can mimic systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) clinically and serologically. There are few reports of prevalence of HCV infection in patients with SLE. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of HCV viremia by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in patients with SLE.
  
  
  METHODS
  We tested sera from 40 consecutive patients with SLE collected from 1993 to 2000. All of the patients had HCV viral load measured by PCR. The results were compared with the prevalence of HCV viremia in a control group of blood donors in our geographic area as well as in United States general population.
  
  
  RESULTS
  HCV was detected in 4 of 40 patients (10%). The prevalence of HCV in our area blood donors is 130 cases per 100,000 persons (0.13%; P<0.0001). The prevalence of HCV infection in the United States general population, screened by PCR, is 1330 cases per 100,000 people (1.33%; P=0.002). The prevalence of HCV infection was significantly higher in our SLE patients than in our area blood donors. The frequency of HCV infection was also higher than that of the United States general population.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our observations support those of other investigators who have reported an increased prevalence of HCV infection in SLE patients. Further detailed investigation of this association may help in understanding the pathogenesis of SLE. HCV infection should be tested when the diagnosis of SLE is considered.
authors.affiliation: Center of Excellence for Arthritis and Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, the Section of Infectious Diseases, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, Louisiana 71130-3932, USA. mahmed3@lsuhsc.edu
authors.forename: M Mubashir
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.forename: Seth Mark
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Berney
authors.forename: Robert E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Wolf
authors.forename: Michelene
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hearth-Holmes
authors.forename: Samina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hayat
authors.forename: Eisha
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mubashir
authors.forename: Henri
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Vanderheyde
authors.forename: Wun-Ling
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: John W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: King
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood; D001782:Blood Donors; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008145:Louisiana / Q000453:epidemiology; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D012367:RNA, Viral