ABSTRACT
UNLABELLED: Viruses might be one of the environmental agents that trigger systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) antibodies in patients with SLE. METHODS: We investigated 110 SLE patients (106 women and 4 men, mean age 35.1 years) who fulfilled the criteria for SLE of the American College of Rheumatology. Three hundred blood donors served as controls. Antibodies against HCV and HBV were tested by a third generation ELISA. Positive results for anti-HCV were further studied by a third generation recombinant immunoblot assay (RIBA 3.0) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). A positive ELISA assay was considered when the result was positive on two consecutive determinations. RESULTS: Antibodies to HCV were present in 3 blood donors (1%), compared with 2 SLE patients (p = 0.4, Fisher's test). One SLE patient was RIBA positive and was lost for follow-up, and the another was confirmed by PCR. This patient had chronic hepatitis and a history of blood transfusion. No patient or control was HBV positive. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of antibodies against HCV and HBV was not higher than in blood donors and the relation between these viruses and SLE could not be established.