Hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotypes, human leucocyte antigen expression and monoclonal gammopathy prevalence during chronic HCV infection.

Patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection (530 in toto), and 294 individuals with chronic liver disease of different aetiology, were enrolled in this study to investigate the prevalence of monoclonal gammopathies (MG) during chronic liver dysfunction. A monoclonal band was detected in 61 HCV+ patients and in nine HCV subjects only. In both instances, a correlation between MG presence and advanced age or degree of hepatic injury was noted. The prevalence of HCV genotype 2a was higher in HCV+ patients with, rather than in those without, MG. The MG+ HCV+ subjects did not exhibit human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-A33, B8, B65 and DR16 expression, while an increased frequency of DR15 structure was seen in the same group of individuals in comparison with MG- HCV+ patients and healthy donors. These findings suggest a possible relationship between HLA haplotype expression, virus genotypes and the occurrence of MG during the course of chronic HCV infection.

[Hepatitis C virus infection mimicking hemorrhagic fever: a case report] / L'infezione da virus dell'epatite C che si manifesta come febbre emorragica: descrizione di un caso.

Acute C hepatitis, compared with hepatitis A or B, may sometimes be associated with extrahepatic manifestations of a haematologic nature. The first case of hepatitis associated with aplastic anemia was reported by Lorenz in 1955. We observed a patient who developed acute hepatitis, associated with febrile purpura: pancytopenia was present, but not aplasia. This association is frequent in Flavivirus-related infections, like Dengue and Yellow Fever, and principally affects children and young people. HCV belongs to the Flavivirus family and so in this case clinical signs may have developed as a consequence of HCV infection.