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Detection of hepatitis C virus antibodies and hepatitis C virus RNA in patients with alcoholic liver disease
Author(s) -
Nishiguchi Shuhei,
Kuroki Tetsuo,
Yabusako Tsuneo,
Seki Shuichi,
Kobayashi Kenzo,
Monna Takeyuki,
Otani Shuzo,
Sakurai Masami,
Shikata Toshio,
Yamamoto Sukeo
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
hepatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.488
H-Index - 361
eISSN - 1527-3350
pISSN - 0270-9139
DOI - 10.1002/hep.1840140606
Subject(s) - hepatitis c virus , alcoholic hepatitis , alcoholic liver disease , medicine , virology , cirrhosis , antibody , hepatitis , virus , hepatitis c , titer , radioimmunoassay , immunology , gastroenterology
The relationship between alcoholic liver disease and hepatitis C virus was studied in 80 patients by searching for hepatitis C virus RNA with the polymerase chain reaction and by measuring hepatitis C virus antibodies. By C‐100 enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay, hepatitis C virus antibodies were found in 2 of 10 patients with fibrosteatosis, 8 of 20 patients with alcoholic hepatitis, 14 of 19 patients with chronic hepatitis and 19 of 31 patients with cirrhosis. Percentages of patients with antibodies found by C‐100 radioimmunoassay and by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay based on sequence peptide 42 were lower; of the 16 patients with a low titer by C‐100 enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay, 10 were negative by radioimmunoassay and 6 were negative by sequence peptide 42. By a second‐generation recombinant immunoblot assay, hepatitis C virus antibodies were found in 1 of 10 patients with fibrosteatosis, 2 of 20 patients with alcoholic hepatitis, 15 of 19 patients with chronic hepatitis and 18 of 31 patients with cirrhosis. Hepatitis C virus RNA was found in 1 of 10 patients with fibrosteatosis, 3 of 20 patients with alcoholic hepatitis, 13 of 19 patients with chronic hepatitis and 20 of 31 patients with cirrhosis. Of the 37 patients with hepatitis C virus RNA, 31 had antibodies by C‐100 enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (25 patients at a high titer [cut‐off index >6]), and 31 had antibodies by second‐generation recombinant immunoblot assay. Patients with cirrhosis and hepatitis C virus RNA had higher ALT activity than such patients without hepatitis C virus RNA (p < 0.05). Of the 80 patients, 25 patients stopped drinking, 11 of these patients had hepatitis C virus RNA. The ALT of the 11 patients tended to decrease during hospitalization but increased in 7 of 11 after discharge. Of the 14 patients without hepatitis C virus RNA who stopped drinking, ALT decreased significantly (p < 0.01) during hospitalization and increased only in 3 of the 14 after discharge. The histological activity index of Knodell for patients with fibrosis, chronic hepatitis or cirrhosis with hepatitis C virus RNA was 11.8 ± 4.2, but without hepatitis C virus RNA it was 8.4 ± 4.3 (p < 0.01). Patients with hepatitis C virus RNA had worse periportal and bridging necrosis, intralobular degeneration, focal necrosis and portal inflammation than patients without hepatitis C virus RNA. (H EPATOLOGY 1991;14:985–989.)