Liver cirrhosis and membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis caused by inapparent hepatitis C virus infection.
We report on an autopsy case of a 44-year-old woman who died of combined hepatic and renal failure and bacterial infection. Postmortem examination revealed advanced liver cirrhosis and membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN), caused by clinically inapparent hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. The diagnosis was confirmed by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) of HCV RNA in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) liver tissue. We conclude that liver cirrhosis and concomitant MPGN should arouse suspicion of HCV infection despite ambiguous or negative results from serological analyses. Specimens of FFPE liver tissue may be used for the diagnosis of HCV infection, even if the tissue was obtained in a postmortem examination.
Kalinski
Thomas
T
Department of Pathology, Otto-von-Guericke-University, Magdeburg, Germany. kalinski@medizin.uni-magdeburg.de
Klante
Thomas
T
Päge
Ilona
I
Schneider-Stock
Regine
R
Dombrowski
Frank
F
Roessner
Albert
A
D000328:Adult; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D015432:Glomerulonephritis, Membranoproliferative / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
D012367:RNA, Viral