Inflammation biomarkers in chronic hepatitis C: association with liver histopathology, HCV genotype and cryoglobulinemia.
OBJECTIVE
This work investigated the profile of inflammation biomarkers in patients with chronic hepatitis C and its association with liver fibrosis, hepatic necroinflammatory activity, viral genotypes and cryoglobulinemia.


METHODS
Seventy-eight untreated patients were studied. Biomarker levels were determined by immunoassays, cryoglobulinemia by cryoprecipitation and liver histopathology investigated using METAVIR scores.


RESULTS
Decreased levels of α(1)-acid glycoprotein (AGP), C3 and haptoglobin (Hp) were observed in the patients (P < 0.0001). Increased α(1)-antitrypsin (P < 0.01) and ferritin (P < 0.0001) levels were found in this group, but C-reactive protein (CRP) and C4 levels were unaltered. Alanine aminotransferase inversely correlated with Hp (P < 0.01) and AGP (P = 0.01), whereas it was directly correlated with ferritin (P < 0.05) and AGP (P < 0.0001). The levels of CRP, C3 and C4 were lower in the patients with hepatic necroinflammatory activity (P < 0.05). Patients with advanced fibrosis had low levels of Hp and AGP (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01, respectively). Neither infection with different viral genotypes nor cryoglobulinemia caused an alteration in biomarker levels.


CONCLUSIONS
Chronic hepatitis C virus infection alters the levels of some biomarkers, which are mainly observed in patients with liver fibrosis and hepatic necroinflammatory activity.
Departamento de Análises Clínicas e Toxicológicas, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, Brazil. mluiza@ufba.br
Maria
M
Atta
Milena
M
Cabral
Gilvan
G
Santos
Raymundo
R
Paraná
Ajax
A
Atta
D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D003449:Cryoglobulinemia / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055815:Young Adult
D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins; D015415:Biomarkers