RESUMEN
Introduction: Chronic infection with hepatitis C virus [HCV] has been found to be associated with autoimmune phenomena and extra hepatic manifestations. HCV was implicated as a cause of the development of anti-phospholipid antibodies, leading to the suggestion that this virus may be involved in the aetiopathogenesis of the anti- phospholipid syndrome [APLS]. Aim: to study the association between anticardiolipin, autoantibodies and cryoglobulin with chronic hepatitis C infection and their relation to thrombocytopenia. Patients: Thirty three patients with chronic liver diseases of different stages were included in this study. Twenty seven of them were due to hepatitis C virus [HCV] and 6 were due to hepatitis B virus [HBV]. Their age ranged from 35 to 52 years. Twenty healthy subjects were included as controls In addition to clinical and ultrasonografic examination complete blood count, anticardiolipin [aCL] [IgG and 1gM isolypes], antinuclear antibody [ANA], antismooth muscle antibody [ASMA] antimitochondrial antibody [AMA] and cryoglobulin were done for both patient and control groups. The frequency of aCL antibodies of IgG and IgM isotypes were significantly more in patients with chronic HC infection [59.2% and 81.5 respectively] than that in controls [5% for each] [P < 0.001]. There was no significant relations between the presence of aCL antibodies and the presence of thrombocytopenia. There was no significant difference in the frequency of aCL between patients with chronic HC and chronic HB infection. The frequency of cryoglobidins was more in HC positive patients [63%] than HB positive patients [50%], but the difference was not significant. However ANA and AMA were significantly more in patients with chronic HC group than patients with chronic HB group [P < 0.05] for each. A significant proportion of HCV patients had detectable aCL However no significant association between aCL antibodies and thrombocytopenia was detected