| Abstract Title: |
Chronic Hepatitis C – comparative markers of autoimmunity in patients with and without alcoholic liver disease |
| Authors: |
Liana Moş, Pop Calin, Corina Zorilă, Coralia Cotoraci, George Pribac, Domsa Gheorghe, Grec Veronica, Alin Marian, Alin Frenţiu, Alciona Sasu |
| Affiliation: |
Faculty of Medicine, Pharmacy and Dentistry, “Vasile Goldis” Western University Arad, Romania |
| Abstract text: |
Background and aim. It is well known the effect of the chronic infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) on the various blood cells and their functions. The aim of our study was to evaluate of the markers of autoimmunity in chronic hepatitis C with or without alcoholic liver disease (ALD). Material and methods. We selected 84 patients, 52 with HCV chronic infection, and 32 patients with HCV chronic infection and ALD. Besides the diagnostic tests, including liver biopsy, we determinate markers of autoimmunity described in literature as frequent in HCV chronic infection, such as cryoglobulins and the Rheumatoid Factor (RF). The lymphocytes B cells with CD19 positive markers (LyB CD19+) were evaluated by flow-cytometry. For statistical comparison we used Student t test for comparison of the mean values *; Mann-Whitney test for comparison of the ± values **; Pearson correlation for statistic significance; statistically significant p<0.05 (SS); not significant statistically (NS). Results. RF was present in 18% and cryoglobulins only in 8% of our infected patients with chronic HCV infection (comparative to 34-56% described in the literature), and were absent in ALD and HCV infection. AHAI score was higher in patients with asociated ALD disease, but not with statistical signifiance. Periportal fibrosis was present exclusively in the patients with HCV chronic infection and alcohol consummers, marker of the pattern of fibrogenesis induced by alcool intake. Although HCV is a lymphotrophic virus with permissive activity for the proliferation of Ly B cells, all our patients with hepatitis C infection and alcohol intake had low values of LyB CD19+ B cells. Chronic alcohol consumming intake supress the number of the Ly B CD19+ B circulating cells. Conclusions. Markers of autoimmunity were less present in our study in patients with HCV chronic infection, comparative to the literature, may be the specificity of HCV subtype present in our zone. The RF, cryoglobulins and autoantibodies were absent in all our patiens with ALD and HCV infection. The presence of HCV had less permissive effect on the proliferation of Ly B CD19+ cells in patients infected with asociated ALD, probably due to the depressive effect of chronic alcohol intake on LyB cells, in direct correlation with the severity of liver fibrosis. |
| Keywords: |
chronic hepatitis C, autoimmunity, alcoholic liver disease |
| Presentation type: |
Oral |
| Correspondence: |
no. 1 Feleacului St., Arad, Romania |
| Email: |
limmos2001@yahoo.com |
