ABSTRACT
Among numerous other immune-mediated diseases, glomerulonephritis has also been suspected to be an extrahepatic manifestation of HEV infection. In this prospective study, we tested 108 patients with glomerulonephritis and 108 age- and sex-matched healthy controls at the University Hospital Hamburg Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany, for anti-HEV IgG (Wantai test) as a marker for previous HEV exposure. A total of 24 patients (22%) tested positive for anti-HEV IgG. Males tended to be more frequently anti-HEV IgG positive (29%) in comparison to females (16%). However, this does not reach statistical significance (p = 0.07). Anti-HEV IgG positive patients were older in comparison to negative patients (mean 53 vs. 45 years, p = 0.05). The kidney function seems to be slightly decreased in anti-HEV IgG positive patients in comparison to and anti-HEV IgG negative patients basing on creatinine (p = 0.04) and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) (p = 0.05). Slightly higher values of bilirubin could be found in IgG positive patients (p = 0.04). Anti-HEV-IgG seropositivity rate (22%) in glomerulonephritis patients, did not differ significantly in comparison to an age- and sex-matched control cohort of healthy blood donors (31/108 positive, 29%). A total of 2/2 patients with membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN) tested anti-HEV IgG positive (p = 0.002 in comparison to glomerulonephritis patients with other subtypes). In conclusion, our findings indicate that previous HEV exposure in a region where GT3 is endemic is not associated with glomerulonephritis in general. However, the subgroup of MPGN patients should be investigated in future studies. Furthermore, future studies are needed to investigate whether the observed association between anti-HEV IgG positivity and reduced GFR in glomerulonephritis patients is HEV associated or is an age-related effect.
ABSTRACT
The chronic hepatitis C-autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) overlap syndrome has been described in the literature, but to date appropriate therapy remains controversial. We report on a 28-year-old woman with hepatitis C-AIH overlap syndrome. The patient was infected with HCV genotype 1b and had laboratory and immunologic findings of AIH type 2 such as increased Igs and a high titer of antibodies against liver-kidney microsomes. Initial liver biopsy specimen demonstrated end-stage liver fibrosis due to chronic hepatitis. After long-lasting corticosteroid treatment, only partial remission was achieved. In contrast, short-term antiviral therapy with interferon-alpha2b in combination with ribavirin was followed by complete biochemical and virologic remission. However, 15 months later, a relapse of AIH was observed. After restarting corticosteroid treatment, transaminase levels completely normalized. Surprisingly, in this patient with overlap syndrome, short-term interferon therapy induced complete remission of chronic HCV infection and regression of severe liver fibrosis.
