Risk factors and association with HBV infection in chronic C hepatitis.

ABSTRACT

The route of transmission in more than 50% of the patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is unknown. Only a minority of patients have had a previous blood transfusion; sporadic spread seems to be much more important, although the role of inapparent parenteral exposure is yet to be established. Aim of this study was to investigate if a relationship exists between history for exposure to known risk factors, concurrent HBV status and histological findings (presence of cirrhosis) in patients with chronic HCV liver disease. We studied 86 subjects with chronic HCV liver disease, subdivided according to their HBV status. Fifty four patients were anti-HBV negative; in the remaining 32 subjects, antibodies to HBV were found. Our data show that 1) history for exposure to known risk factors is more likely to be present in patients with chronic HCV liver disease and concurrent positivity for antibodies to HBV than in anti-HCV positive patients without HBV antibodies (62.5% vs 38.9%); and 2) the incidence of liver cirrhosis is higher in anti-HCV positive patients with anti-HBV antibodies than in exclusively anti-HCV positive patients (56.2% vs 12.9%). We conclude that the association of history for exposure to known risk factors and anti-HBV positivity could be a marker of progression from mild to severe liver damage in patients with chronic HCV liver disease (i.e. in the absence of both identifiable risk factors and HBV antibodies, HCV infection could have a less severe clinical outcome). Therefore, in these patients a closer follow-up and earlier interferon therapy are probably needed.