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Liver histology in patients with HBsAg negative anti‐HBc and anti‐HCV positive chronic hepatitis
Author(s) -
Sagnelli Evangelista,
Pasquale Giuseppe,
Coppola Nicola,
Marrocco Cecilia,
Scarano Ferdinando,
Imparato Michele,
Sagnelli Caterina,
Scolastico Carlo,
Piccinino Felice
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
journal of medical virology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 121
eISSN - 1096-9071
pISSN - 0146-6615
DOI - 10.1002/jmv.20260
Subject(s) - medicine , gastroenterology , hbsag , histology , cirrhosis , fibrosis , immunology , hepatitis b virus , virus
The liver histology of 68 consecutive anti‐HCV/HCV‐RNA positive chronic hepatitis patients who were HBsAg/anti‐HBs negative, anti‐HBc positive (Case bC group) was compared with that of 68 anti‐HCV/HCV‐RNA positive chronic hepatitis patients who were HBsAg/anti‐HBc negative (control C group). The patients were pair‐matched by age (±5 years), sex, and risk factors for the acquisition of parenteral infection. Case bC group showed a significantly higher mean fibrosis score (2.3 ± 1.1) than control C group (1.5 ± 1.1, P < 0.001) and more histological evidence of cirrhosis (22% vs. 7.3%, P < 0.05). In addition, the patients in Case bC group showed more severe inflammation of the portal tracts (3.5 ± 0.8 vs. 3.0 ± 1.1, P < 0.005) and there was a higher prevalence of patients with rhomboid‐shaped hepatocytes (26.4% vs. 2.7%, P < 0.005), acidophilic bodies (33.8% vs. 1.4%, P < 0.0001), sinusoidal inflammation (29.4% vs. 10.3%, P < 0.01), lymphoid follicles in the portal tracts (72% vs. 44.1%, P < 0.05), Kupffer cell proliferation (29.4% vs. 11.8%, P < 0.05), bile duct damage (44.1% vs. 10.3%, P < 0.0001), and ductular proliferation (30.9% vs. 2.7%, P < 0.001) than in control C group. No difference in these histological features was observed between HBV‐DNA negative and positive patients in Case bC group. The data suggest that anti‐HBc positive patients with HCV chronic infection have a significantly higher degree of liver fibrosis, and that hepatocellular apoptosis, bile duct damage, and ductular proliferation correlate with the presence of this antibody in the serum. J. Med. Virol. 75:222–226, 2005. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.