0000000000235542
AUTHOR
Qui-lim Choo
Hepatitis C virus replication in ‘autoimmune’ chronic hepatitis
Abstract Both high and low anti-hepatitis C virus antibody (anti-HCV) prevalence has been reported in autoimmune chronic active hepatitis. Therefore, we studied 15 consecutive HBsAg-negative, ELISA anti-HCV-positive, autoantibody-positive patients with biopsy proven chronic active hepatitis in order to confirm ELISA specificity by immunoblot test (RIBA-HCV), and to evaluate HCV replication by serum HCV-RNA. Nine patients were anti-nuclear, three type 1 anti-liver-kidney microsomal and three anti-smooth muscle antibody positive. None had associated autoimmune disease. All cases showed mild clinical disease and only moderate necroinflammatory activity. Response to prednisone was poor. RIBA-HC…
Prevalence of antibodies to hepatitis C virus among patients with cryptogenic chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis
Many cases of chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis cannot be attributed to a known cause and are collectively referred to as cryptogenic chronic liver disease. We have evaluated the role of the hepatitis C virus in the pathogenesis of this condition in a retrospective serum analysis for antibody to hepatitis C virus in 129 patients with cryptogenic liver disease. Other causes of chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis were ruled out by clinical, serum biochemical and serological techniques. All 129 patients were HBsAg negative, but 28 (22%) had antibody to HBcAg. Sera were tested by radioimmunoassays using recombinant peptides for antibodies to nonstructural (C 100-3 and C33c) and structural regions (C2…