Changes in liver histopathology in women infected with hepatitis C through contaminated anti-D immunoglobulin injections in Ireland.
Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol
; 10(1): 69-73, 1998 Jan.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-9512956
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE:
To evaluate histological findings in untreated chronic hepatitis C patients at diagnosis 17 years after infection and to assess histological progression on repeat liver biopsy 2 years later. PATIENTS Thirty patients infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV), genotype 1b, by contaminated anti-D immunoglobulin in Ireland in 1977 were studied. These patients were diagnosed in 1994 for the first time. All patients were positive for HCV-RNA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR).METHODS:
Each patient underwent two liver biopsies approximately 2 years apart 17 and 19 years after initial infection. The liver biopsies were scored by two pathologists by the modified histological activity index using a numerical score. At first liver biopsy at time of presentation, eight patients had normal alanine aminotransferase (ALT), four had an ALT of more than 100 IU/I and 18 had an ALT level between 40 and 100 IU/I.RESULTS:
In the initial (1994) biopsies, the median grade (inflammation) was 5/18, range 1-9 and the median stage (fibrosis) was 2/6, range 0-6. One patient showed cirrhosis (stage 6/6) and six patients (20%) had developed moderate fibrosis (stage 3-4/6). On the repeat biopsy, 2 years later, median grade (inflammation) was 5/18, range 2-9 and stage (fibrosis) was 1/6, range 0-6.CONCLUSION:
This group of patients, infected with HCV genotype 1b and untreated for 19 years, allows evaluation of the natural history of this virus. The majority of patients showed mild chronic hepatitis. Only one patient had developed cirrhosis. There was no significant histological disease progression between the two biopsy specimens over a 2 year period. The results suggest that the prognosis in such cases could at least be guardedly optimistic and that sequential liver biopsy may be performed less frequently.
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Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Contaminação de Medicamentos
/
Hepatite C
/
Imunoglobulina rho(D)
/
Hepatite C Crônica
/
Fígado
Tipo de estudo:
Etiology_studies
/
Observational_studies
/
Prognostic_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
Limite:
Adult
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Middle aged
País/Região como assunto:
Europa
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol
Assunto da revista:
GASTROENTEROLOGIA
Ano de publicação:
1998
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Irlanda