Spectrum, incidence and prognostic value of systemic manifestations in chronic hepatitis C of low activity

• Published in: Terapevtic̆eskii arhiv Vol. 77; no. 2; p. 59
• Main Authors: Karpov, S Iu, Krel', P E, Lopatkina, T n, Krasnova, T N, Milovanova, S Iu, Nekrasova, T N
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Russian
• Published: Russia (Federation) 2005
• Subjects: Adult; Cryoglobulinemia - epidemiology; Female; Glomerulonephritis - epidemiology; Hepatitis C, Chronic - epidemiology; Hepatitis C, Chronic - physiopathology; Humans; Incidence; Male; Middle Aged; Prognosis; Severity of Illness Index
• ISSN: 0040-3660

To study the incidence and prognostic significance of extrahepatic manifestations of chronic HCV-infection with low activity of hepatic process and to specify treatment policy.
Sixty-two patients with low-active chronic hepatitis C (CHC) entered the study. Blood samples from all the patients were studied clinically, biochemically, immunologically and virusologically. In 58 patients the diagnosis was confirmed morphologically (liver tissue).
Systemic manifestations of CHC were observed in 23 (37.1%) patients, in 12 of them they were associated with cryoglobulinemia. Most frequent was cryoglobulinemic vasculitis with skin (12.9%) and joint (9.7%) involvement, cryoglobulinemic glomerulonephritis (11.3%), arthralgia without association with cryoglobulinemia (11.3%). Independent risk factors for development of systemic disorders in CHC of low activity comprised female gender, age over 45, the disease duration and presence of cryoglobulinemia.
CHC of low activity is characterized by high occurrence of systemic manifestations primarily associated with cryoglobulinemia. Renal affection with development of cryoglobulinemic glomerulonephritis is most prognostically significant.