Bronchial mucosal changes in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection

ABSTRACT

Hepatitis C virus [HCV], being both a hepatotropic and lymphotropic virus represents a chronic stimulus for the immune system. So, various extra hepatic immunologic abnormalities have been shown to occur frequently in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus. Among the systemic manifestations of chronic HCV infection, lung involvement has been described. Also the possibility that HCV infects extra hepatic cells has been widely discussed. So we aimed in this study to detect HCV antigen in the bronchial mucosa and broncho-alveolar lavage [BAL]. Together with, the study of histopathological changes in the bronchial biopsy and the cellular content of the BAL in patients with chronic HCV infection.Our study included 50 patients suffering from chronic liver disease due to Hepatitis C virus infection complaining of recurrent cough with negative clinical chest finding and normal X-ray chest.The patients were subdivided into three groups according to Child-pugh classification.Bronchoalveolar lavage and bronchial biopsy were obtained through the use of fibre optic bronchoscopy. And detection of HCV antigen in the BAL and biopsy using immunohistochemistry was done. Alsostudy of the histopathological changes of bronchial biopsy and lavage were performed