Extrahepatic manifestations of chronic hepatitis C virus infection: 297 cases from a tertiary medical center in Beijing, China.
BACKGROUND
Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection can affect multiple organ systems and cause a variety of extrahepatic manifestations (EMs). We sought to assess the constituent ratio of EMs in Chinese patients with chronic HCV infection and identify the clinical and biological factors associated with EM.


METHODS
The medical records of 297 patients with chronic HCV infection were analyzed and demographic and epidemiological information was collected. The diagnosis of chronic HCV infection was based on positive anti-HCV combined with a positive HCV-RNA or at least two times of elevated aminotransferases attributable to HCV infection. Patients with HBV and/or HIV coinfection, autoimmune hepatitis, and history of alcohol abuse were excluded.


RESULTS
Sixty-two percent (184/297) of the patients had at least one EM, including fatigue (29.4%), type 2 diabetes mellitus (28.2%), renal involvement (12.5%), lymphadenopathy (9.6%), fever (9.4%), thyroid dysfunction (8.1%), and arthralgia (7.4%). Neuropathy, sicca syndrome, B-cell lymphoma, Raynaud's phenomenon, and lichen planus were rare. The mean age of patients with EM was older compared with those without EM.


CONCLUSIONS
EMs were common in Chinese patients with chronic HCV infection, particularly fatigue, type 2 diabetes, renal impairment, lymphadenophy, fever, and thyroid dysfunction. Older age was associated with EMs.
Department of Infectious Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China.
Zhaojing
Z
Cheng
Department of Infectious Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China.
Baotong
B
Zhou
Department of Infectious Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China.
Xiaochun
X
Shi
Department of Infectious Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China.
Yao
Y
Zhang
Department of Infectious Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China.
Lifan
L
Zhang
Department of Nephrology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China.
Limeng
L
Chen
Department of Infectious Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China. Email: liuxqpumch@126.com.
Xiaoqing
X
Liu
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002681:China; D003449:Cryoglobulinemia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D005221:Fatigue / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008206:Lymphatic Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013921:Thrombocytopenia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D055815:Young Adult