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Anti-hepatitis C Virus Antibody (anti-hepatitis + c_virus_antibody)
Selected AbstractsHepatitis C virus risk: a hepatitis C virus related syndromeJOURNAL OF INTERNAL MEDICINE, Issue 5 2000C. Mazzaro Abstract. Mazzaro C, Panarello G, Tesio F, Santini G, Crovatto M, Mazzi G, Zorat F, Tulissi P, Pussini E, Baracetti S, Campanacci L, Pozzato G (Pordenone General Hospital, Pordenone; University of Trieste, School of Medicine, Trieste, Italy). Hepatitis C virus risk: a hepatitis C virus-related syndrome. J Intern Med 2000 247: 535,545. Background. The association between mixed cryoglobulinemia (MC) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has been recently described in many reports. Objective. The aim of this study was to evaluate the long-term prognosis of hepatitis C virus-positive patients affected by mixed cryoglobulinemia with or without kidney involvement. Patients. At total of 119 hepatitis C virus-positive patients affected by mixed cryoglobulinemia were divided in two groups. Group A: mixed cryoglobulinemia without kidney involvement (103 cases); group B: mixed cryoglobulinemia with glomerulonephritis (GN) (16 cases). A further 37 patients affected by mesangio-proliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN) were evaluated as controls (group C). Methods. Anti-hepatitis C virus antibodies were determined by commercial kits and hepatitis C virus-RNA was detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of the 5, untranslated region (5,UTR) of the virus. The hepatitis C virus genotype was determined according to Okamoto. Liver biopsy was performed in 62 patients, bone marrow biopsy in 65 patients, and kidney biopsy in all patients with proteinuria. Results. In group A, 46 patients (45%) were affected by chronic liver disease (CLD), 21 (20%) by low-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) and 16 (15%) by both diseases. All patients of group B were affected by type I membrano-proliferative glomerulonephritis, 3 (19%) by chronic liver disease, 6 (37%) by low-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and 7 (44%) by both diseases. Several genotypes of hepatitis C virus were found, but Type 1b was prevalent. In group C, no patient showed chronic liver disease or non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Younger age, higher mean blood pressure, lower C4 serum level, and poorer survival significantly distinguished group B from group A. Survival rates at 5 years were: 87.4% for group A, 89.5% for group C, and 50.0% for group B. None of the patients of group B developed kidney failure requiring dialysis, whilst infections were the leading cause of death. Conclusions. In hepatitis C virus-positive patients, the presence of mixed cryoglobulinemia associated with kidney involvement seems to indicate a new syndrome characterized by immune system impairment, lack of progression to kidney failure, and poor survival (hepatitis C virus-Risk syndrome). [source] Lichenoid photodermatitis associated with nimesulideINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY, Issue 12 2001Umit Tursen MD An 81-year-old-female patient presented with a 2 week history of erythematous to violaceous lichenoid papules and plaques exhibiting a reticulated pattern on the ,,V'' area of the chest and dorsal hands. Fine, whitish reticulated networks were present over the surface of many well developed papules. The lesions were sharply demarcated and moderately pruritic (Fig. 1). Figure 1. ,Violaceous lichenoid papules with reticular pattern located on the ,,V'' area of the chest The result of routine complete blood cell count, urinalysis, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, liver and kidney function tests were within normal limits. Antinuclear and anti-DNA antibodies were negative, and total C3 and C4 complement levels were normal. Hepatitis B surface antigen, anti-Hepatitis B surface antigen, anti-Hepatitis B core IgM antibody were negative, while anti-Hepatitis C virus antibody was positive. A skin biopsy specimen obtained from the neck of our patient revealed an interface lichenoid dermatitis accompanied by individual necrotic epidermal keratinocytes, parakeratosis and eosinophils in the infiltrate (Fig. 2). Figure 2. ,Interface lichenoid dermatitis accompanied by individual necrotic epidermal keratinocytes and parakeratosis (Hematoxylin and eosin; original magnification, × 200) Nimesulide therapy was stopped and the patient was treated with topical corticosteroids and systemic antihistamines. The eruption resolved within 5 days. The rash returned following nimesulide rechallenge. [source] Necrolytic acral erythema without hepatitis C infectionJOURNAL OF CUTANEOUS PATHOLOGY, Issue 3 2009Yu-Hung Wu Necrolytic acral erythema is a newly described entity characterized by sharply demarcated scaly plaques on the dorsum of the hands and feet. More than 30 patients have been reported since 1996, all of whom had anti-hepatitis C virus antibody. A 32-year-old Taiwanese woman had been diagnosed with and treated for systemic lupus erythematosus with lupus nephritis about 10 years earlier. Soon thereafter, she noted several well-demarcated keratotic plaques with erythematous borders on her feet, with sparing of the soles. Histopathology showed diffuse parakeratosis with a neutrophil infiltrate, hypogranulosis, pale upper keratinocytes, scattered and grouped dyskeratotic cells, psoriasiform hyperplasia and a mild lymphocytic infiltrate in the upper dermis. The diagnosis was made after three biopsies. The lesions regularly worsened just before and during menstruation, but patch and intradermal tests for progesterone and estrogen were negative. There was no evidence of either hepatitis B or hepatitis C infection. The lesions did not respond to treatment with zinc. The rash regressed spontaneously when corticosteroids were stopped and recurred when they were restarted, finally resolving completely after she was treated with high-dose pulse steroids for her lupus. [source] Review article: hepatitis C virus infection and type-2 diabetes mellitus in renal diseases and transplantationALIMENTARY PHARMACOLOGY & THERAPEUTICS, Issue 6 2005F. Fabrizi Summary A link between hepatitis C virus infection and development of diabetes mellitus has been suggested by many investigators; however, this remains controversial. The mechanisms underlying the association between hepatitis C virus and diabetes mellitus are unclear but a great majority of clinical surveys have found a significant and independent relationship between hepatitis C virus and diabetes mellitus after renal transplantation and orthotopic liver transplantation. We have systematically reviewed the scientific literature to explore the association between hepatitis C virus and diabetes mellitus in end-stage renal disease; in addition, data on patients undergoing orthotopic liver transplantation were also analysed. The unadjusted odds ratio for developing post-transplant diabetes mellitus in hepatitis C virus-infected renal transplant recipients ranged between 1.58 and 16.5 across the published studies. The rate of anti-hepatitis C virus antibody in serum was higher among dialysis patients having diabetes mellitus (odds ratio 9.9; 95% confidence interval 2.663,32.924). Patients with type-2 diabetes-related glomerulonephritis had the highest anti-hepatitis C virus prevalence [19.5% (24/123) vs. 3.2% (73/2247); P < 0.001] in a large cohort of Japanese patients who underwent renal biopsy. The link between hepatitis C virus and diabetes mellitus may explain, in part, the detrimental role of hepatitis C virus on patient and graft survival after orthotopic liver transplantation and/or renal transplantation. Preliminary evidence suggests that anti-viral therapies prior to renal transplantation and novel immunosuppressive regimens may lower the occurrence of diabetes mellitus in hepatitis C virus-infected patients after renal transplantation. Clinical trials are under way to assess if the hepatitis C virus-linked predisposition to new onset diabetes mellitus after renal transplantation may be reduced by newer immunosuppressive medications. [source] | ||||||||||