Histopathologic findings of autoimmunity in thyroid, pituitary, and adrenal diseases in chronic hepatitis C postmortem cases.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the histologic prevalence of immune-mediated thyroid, pituitary, and adrenal diseases in postmortem cases with hepatitis C.


METHODS
We reviewed 108 consecutive cases of chronic hepatitis C in patients in whom a complete postmortem examination was performed. All microscopic and histologic slides of the thyroid, pituitary, and adrenal reports were reviewed and assessed for evidence of autoimmune diseases. These were compared with a control group of 100 postmortem cases without hepatitis C.


RESULTS
In chronic hepatitis C infection, there is a heightened immune response resulting in many autoimmune diseases. The commonest endocrinopathy in association with this chronic infection is thyroid disease, a finding confirmed in our current study. Among the 108 postmortem cases of hepatitis C, there were 14 cases (13%) with evidence of thyroiditis. No cases of pituitary or adrenal disease were found. The mean age of the patients was 52 years (range, 29 to 68). This frequency compared with 7 cases of thyroid disease (7%) in the control group (no significant difference between the 2 groups).


CONCLUSIONS
On the basis of our postmortem data, thyroid disease was the only major endocrinopathy associated with hepatitis C infection, with a prevalence of 13%. This was comparable with other serologic and nonhistologic antemortem findings. There was no evidence of pituitary or adrenal involvement.
Hunter Area Pathology Service, Hunter Mail Region Centre, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia. huy.tran@hnehealth.nsw.gov.au
Huy A
HA
Tran
Glenn E M
GE
Reeves
Tim J
TJ
Lyons
John R
JR
Attia
D000307:Adrenal Gland Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015551:Autoimmunity; D005260:Female; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010900:Pituitary Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013967:Thyroiditis, Autoimmune / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology*