title: Magnetic resonance sialography of the parotid glands in chronic hepatitis C virus patients with and without vasculitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is sialotropic. The pathogenesis of sicca manifestations in patients with chronic HCV infection is not fully understood. We aimed to detect changes in magnetic resonance sialography (MRS) of HCV patients with and without vasculitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied 32 HCV patients (19 female, mean age 48.8 ± 10.3 years) and 20 age- and gender-matched healthy controls. Half of the patients had vasculitis. Demographic, clinical and serological data were prospectively evaluated. In patients with vasculitis, the disease activity was assessed by the Birmingham Vasculitis Activity Score (BVAS). MRS was performed on all patients and controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Abnormal MRS was found in 25% of patients, (6/16 and 2/16 in patients with and without vasculitis, respectively). Among patients with vasculitis, those with abnormal MRS had longer disease duration, higher leukocytic and lymphocytic counts and more frequent cryoglobulinemia (P < 0.01, P < 0.001, P < 0.001 and P < 0.008, respectively), while BVAS scores were not significantly different.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Among HCV patients with vasculitis, longer disease duration and cryoglobulinemia were associated with abnormal findings on MRS. To confirm our results, we propose larger-scale, multicentre studies with longer evaluation periods.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Amira A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Shahin
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Hanan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hussein
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Wafaa
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Gaber
authors.affiliation: Department of Endemic Hepatogastroenterology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Tamer
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Elbaz
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Lamia A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Salah El Din
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003449:Cryoglobulinemia / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010306:Parotid Gland / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012698:Serologic Tests; D012796:Sialography / Q000379:methods*; D014657:Vasculitis / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers
keywords: HCV-related sicca; HCV-related vasculitis; cryoglobulinemia; magnetic resonance sialography