title: Neuropathies in hepatitis C-related liver cirrhosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Neurological complications occur in a large number of patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and range from peripheral neuropathy to cognitive impairment. We studied the association between neuropathy and HCV-related chronic liver disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty patients with HCV-related chronic liver disease were enrolled in this prospective case-control study. Patients were classified into two groups: mild and severe corresponding to a model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score <14 and a MELD score >14, respectively. Complete neurological examination and nerve conduction studies have been done for all patients. All patients in addition to 25 healthy control subjects were tested for their serum B12 levels.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-two percent of patients had sensory abnormality, 18 % had motor abnormality, while 10 % had both sensory and motor abnormalities. Autonomic function tests and nerve conduction studies revealed that 23 patients (46 %) had evidence of neuropathy and 10 patients (20 %) had both peripheral and autonomic neuropathy. Neuropathies were not related to the severity of the liver disease. Serum B12 level had a very wide range among patients with no relation between its level and neuropathy. Vitamin B12 level was significantly and directly correlated to MELD score and age.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Peripheral and autonomic neuropathy has high prevalence in patients with HCV-related chronic liver disease. On the other hand, vitamin B12 level is high in those patients and there is no role for vitamin B12 in the liver cirrhosis-related neuropathy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Nadia Abdelaaty
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Abdelkader
authors.forename: Doaa Zakaria
authors.initials: DZ
authors.lastname: Zaky
authors.forename: Hossam
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Afifi
authors.forename: Wessam Elsayed
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Saad
authors.forename: Said Ibrahim
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Shalaby
authors.forename: Mohamed Awad
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Mansour
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000502:physiology; D001342:Autonomic Nervous System Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009431:Neural Conduction / Q000502:physiology; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014805:Vitamin B 12 / Q000097:blood; D014803:Vitamin B Complex / Q000097:blood; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014803:Vitamin B Complex; D014805:Vitamin B 12