Hepatitis C Infection More Prevalent in Lupus Patients Than Healthy

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Hepatitis C Infection More Prevalent in Lupus Patients

Than Healthy

Controls

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WESTPORT, CT (Reuters Health) Jan 05 - The prevalence

of hepatitis C

virus

(HCV) infection is higher in patients with systemic

lupus erythematosus

(SLE) than in healthy control subjects, according to a

report published

in

the December issue of Arthritis and Rheumatism. Also,

the usual

clinical

manifestations of SLE are different in patients

infected with HCV, the

authors state.

Dr. p Font and colleagues from the University of

Barcelona in Spain

studied the prevalence and clinical significance of

HCV infection in

134

consecutive SLE patients and 200 healthy subjects.

The authors found that HCV infection was present in

11% of SLE patients

and

in 1% of healthy subjects. Compared with SLE patients

without

infection,

HCV-infected SLE patients had a lower frequency of

cutaneous

manifestations

and anti-double-stranded DNA positivity. These

infected patients,

however,

had a higher frequency of hepatic involvement,

cryoglobulinemia, and

low C4

and CH50 levels.

The current study represents the largest series of SLE

patients ever

analyzed for HCV infection, the researchers point out.

The findings

also

" suggest a possible link between HCV infection and

SLE. "

Based on their results, the investigators divided SLE

patients with

anti-HCV

antibodies into three groups: 1) Patients with a

false-positive result

on

the antibody assay; 2) Patients with HCV infection and

" true " SLE; and

3)

Patients with a " lupus-like syndrome " that may have

been caused by HCV

infection.

" We suggest that HCV testing should be considered in

the diagnosis of

SLE,

especially in patients without " typical SLE

manifestations, the authors

state. " Conversely, patients with chronic HCV

infection and

extra-hepatic

features mimicking SLE should be tested for the

presence of antinuclear

antibodies and anti-double-stranded DNA. "

Arthritis Rheum 2000;43:2801-2806.

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