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Hepatitis C in chronic liver disease: an epidemiological study based on 566 consecutive patients undergoing liver biopsy during a 10-year period

Verbaan, Hans LU ; Widell, Anders LU ; Lindgren, S ; Lindmark, B ; Nordenfelt, E and Eriksson, S (1992) In Journal of Internal Medicine 232(1). p.33-42
Abstract
We analysed the presence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibodies in 566 patients undergoing liver biopsy. While over 20% of the patients were anti-HCV positive according to ELISA, only 13.8% had HCV antibodies when tested with a four-antigen recombinant immunoblot assay (RIBA 2). At the time of inclusion in the study, most patients were asymptomatic, irrespective of whether they were HCV-positive. Histological findings in anti-HCV-positive patients were chronic persistent hepatitis, chronic active hepatitis or cirrhosis in greater than 75% of cases. Only four of the patients who were anti-HCV-positive according to the RIBA 2 had autoimmune chronic active hepatitis. Risk behaviour could be identified in the majority of cases.... (More)
We analysed the presence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibodies in 566 patients undergoing liver biopsy. While over 20% of the patients were anti-HCV positive according to ELISA, only 13.8% had HCV antibodies when tested with a four-antigen recombinant immunoblot assay (RIBA 2). At the time of inclusion in the study, most patients were asymptomatic, irrespective of whether they were HCV-positive. Histological findings in anti-HCV-positive patients were chronic persistent hepatitis, chronic active hepatitis or cirrhosis in greater than 75% of cases. Only four of the patients who were anti-HCV-positive according to the RIBA 2 had autoimmune chronic active hepatitis. Risk behaviour could be identified in the majority of cases. Community-acquired sporadic cases were rare (12%). Of the 153 patients who died during follow-up, 23 subjects were anti-HCV positive. Although age- and sex-adjusted survival was not shorter in anti-HCV-positive patients than in anti-HCV-negatives, the risk of hepatocellular cancer was higher (P = 0.01). We conclude that HCV infection is associated with chronic liver disease, even when critical evidence of viral aetiology is slight. Truly sporadic cases are rare. Patients infected with HCV are at increased risk of developing hepatocellular cancer. (Less)
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author
; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Journal of Internal Medicine
volume
232
issue
1
pages
33 - 42
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • pmid:1322443
  • scopus:0026635407
ISSN
1365-2796
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
The information about affiliations in this record was updated in December 2015. The record was previously connected to the following departments: Clinical Microbiology, Malmö (013011000), Emergency medicine/Medicine/Surgery (013240200)
id
aea4a5bf-7d88-48d2-bd7c-f3cfd833e00d (old id 1106188)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 16:42:51
date last changed
2021-09-19 05:50:11
@article{aea4a5bf-7d88-48d2-bd7c-f3cfd833e00d,
  abstract     = {{We analysed the presence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibodies in 566 patients undergoing liver biopsy. While over 20% of the patients were anti-HCV positive according to ELISA, only 13.8% had HCV antibodies when tested with a four-antigen recombinant immunoblot assay (RIBA 2). At the time of inclusion in the study, most patients were asymptomatic, irrespective of whether they were HCV-positive. Histological findings in anti-HCV-positive patients were chronic persistent hepatitis, chronic active hepatitis or cirrhosis in greater than 75% of cases. Only four of the patients who were anti-HCV-positive according to the RIBA 2 had autoimmune chronic active hepatitis. Risk behaviour could be identified in the majority of cases. Community-acquired sporadic cases were rare (12%). Of the 153 patients who died during follow-up, 23 subjects were anti-HCV positive. Although age- and sex-adjusted survival was not shorter in anti-HCV-positive patients than in anti-HCV-negatives, the risk of hepatocellular cancer was higher (P = 0.01). We conclude that HCV infection is associated with chronic liver disease, even when critical evidence of viral aetiology is slight. Truly sporadic cases are rare. Patients infected with HCV are at increased risk of developing hepatocellular cancer.}},
  author       = {{Verbaan, Hans and Widell, Anders and Lindgren, S and Lindmark, B and Nordenfelt, E and Eriksson, S}},
  issn         = {{1365-2796}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{33--42}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Journal of Internal Medicine}},
  title        = {{Hepatitis C in chronic liver disease: an epidemiological study based on 566 consecutive patients undergoing liver biopsy during a 10-year period}},
  volume       = {{232}},
  year         = {{1992}},
}