scholarly journals Liver Impairment and Hematological Changes in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C and COVID-19: A Retrospective Study after One Year of Pandemic

Medicina ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 57 (6) ◽  
pp. 597
Author(s):  
Bianca Cerbu ◽  
Stelian Pantea ◽  
Felix Bratosin ◽  
Iulia Vidican ◽  
Mirela Turaiche ◽  
...  

Background and Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic is an ongoing public health emergency. Patients with chronic diseases are at greater risk for complications and poor outcomes. The objective of this study was to investigate the liver function abnormalities and clinical outcomes in patients with COVID-19 and chronic hepatitis C. Materials and Methods: This retrospective, single-center study was conducted on a cohort of 126 patients with a history of hepatitis C, confirmed with COVID-19 between 01 April 2020 and 30 December 2020. Several clinical outcomes were compared between patients with active and non-active HCV infection, and the risks of liver impairment and all-cause mortality in active HCV patients were analyzed using a multivariate logistic regression model. Results: Among 1057 patients under follow-up for chronic HCV infection, 126 (11.9%) were confirmed with COVID-19; of these, 95 (75.4%) were under treatment or achieved SVR, while in the other 31 (24.6%), we found active HCV replication. There was a significantly higher proportion of severe COVID-19 cases in the active HCV group as compared to the non-active HCV group (32.2 vs. 7.3%, p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that age, sex, alanine aminotransferase, C-reactive protein, procalcitonin, and HCV viral load were significant independent risk factors for liver impairment and all-cause mortality. The length of stay in hospital and intensive care unit for COVID-19 was significantly higher in patients with active HCV infection (p-value < 0.001), and a higher proportion of these patients required mechanical ventilation. Conclusions: Active HCV infection is an independent risk factor for all-cause mortality in COVID-19 patients.

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic immunological disease that causes destruction and deformity of joints. Chronic hepatitis C infection cases could develop rheumatic like clinical presenting profile. Raised rheumatoid factor in chronic HCV infection considerably reduces the diagnostic privilege of rheumatoid factor for rheumatoid arthritis coexisting with HCV infection. Aim of the work: To determine the value of anti-citrullinated protein antibody levels in cases having chronic HCV infection in comparison to rheumatoid factor. Methodology: The research team recruited 150 non-arthritic study subjects having chronic hepatitis C virus infection rheumatoid factor and anti-citrullinated protein antibody levels were assayed for all study subjects for statistical analysis. Results: Rheumatoid factor +ve study subjects had statistically significantly more frequent within female gender. (p value=0.027) Rheumatoid factor high +ve cases had statistically significantly had more frequent fatty liver and higher platelets than on high RF +ve cases. (P value =0.020, <0.038 consecutively) Conclusion: HCV cases with joint involvement were not implemented in the current research study that prevented statistical estimation of the sensitivity of anti-citrullinated protein antibody for arthritis in this cohort. Racial and ethnic differences should be put in consideration in future research studies that are recommended to be multi centric in fashion.


2011 ◽  
Vol 152 (22) ◽  
pp. 876-881
Author(s):  
Alajos Pár

The review discusses the genetic polymorphisms involved in the pathogenesis of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, that may determine the outcome of disease. In this field earlier both certain major histocompatibility complex (MHC) alleles and some cytokine gene variants have also been studied. Recently, the genome-wide association study (GWAS) and targeted single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis have revealed that a variant in the promoter region of interleukin-28B (IL-28B) gene is strongly linked to viral clearance and it may be the strongest pretreatment predictor of treatment response in chronic hepatitis C. Last year it was shown that two genetic variants leading to inosine triphosphatase deficiency protect against haemolytic anemia in patients receiving ribavirin during antiviral treatment for chronic HCV infection. Orv. Hetil., 2011, 152, 876–881.


2009 ◽  
Vol 23 (6) ◽  
pp. 425-430 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer A Flemming ◽  
David J Hurlbut ◽  
Ben Mussari ◽  
Lawrence C Hookey

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: Liver biopsy has been the gold standard for grading and staging chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV)-mediated liver injury. Traditionally, this has been performed by trained practitioners using a nonimage-guided percutaneous technique at the bedside. Recent literature suggests an expanding role for radiologists in obtaining biopsies using an ultrasound (US)-guided technique. The present study was undertaken study to determine if the two techniques produced liver biopsy specimens of similar quality and hypothesized that at our institution, non-US-guided percutaneous liver biopsies for HCV would be of higher quality than US-guided specimens.METHODS: Liver biopsies from 100 patients with chronic HCV infection (50 consecutive US-guided and 50 consecutive non-US-guided), were retrospectively identified using a hospital histopathology database. All original biopsy slides were coded and prospectively reanalyzed by a single hepatopathologist who was blinded to the technique used in obtaining the biopsy. Additionally, all liver biopsies for chronic HCV infection completed at the centre from 1998 to 2007 were identified and the technique used was recorded. Biopsy quality was determined primarily by the number of complete portal tracts (CPTs) identifiable in the slides. The total length of specimen and the degree of fragmentation were secondary outcome measures.RESULTS: There was a slight difference observed between the US-guided and non-US-guided groups in mean age (46.3 years versus 42.5 years, repectively; P=0.018) but no differences in sex, presence of cirrhosis, bilirubin, creatinine, international normalized ratio, and grade or stage of disease. Biopsies obtained using the US-guided technique produced higher quality specimens than the non-US-guided technique based on our primary outcome of number of CPTs in the biopsy (11.8 versus 7.4; P<0.001). US-guided specimens also were longer (24.4 mm versus 19.7 mm; P=0.001), had less fragmentation (P=0.016), and a higher overall histopathological quality assessment (P=0.026) than the non-US-guided biopsies. However, there was no significant difference between the two groups in the ability to grade and stage the disease (96% US-guided versus 90% in non-US-guided (P=0.20). Over a 10-year period, 763 biopsies for chronic HCV infection were identified with an obvious trend toward the increased use of US-guided technique observed at 2% in 1998 to 85% in 2007.CONCLUSIONS: US-guided liver biopsies for chronic HCV are the most common method of obtaining specimens at the Kingston General Hospital, Kingston, Ontario, and are of higher quality than non-US-guided specimens. However, there is no significant difference in the two techniques in the ability to grade and stage chronic HCV.


2016 ◽  
Vol 34 (6) ◽  
pp. 650-653 ◽  
Author(s):  
Norihisa Yada ◽  
Toshiharu Sakurai ◽  
Tomohiro Minami ◽  
Tadaaki Arizumi ◽  
Masahiro Takita ◽  
...  

Objective: We have reported about real-time tissue elastography (RTE), which displays relative strain by measuring the relative distortion of the tissue, and found this information to be useful for diagnosing liver fibrosis. However, its use in predicting hepatocellular carcinoma has not been reported as yet. Here, we investigated RTE to predict liver carcinogenesis in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Methods: We enrolled 160 patients with chronic HCV, who were followed up for 39.9 ± 22.9 weeks (median). They underwent RTE and then ultrasounds every 3-6 months. Results: Respective cumulative liver cancer incidences for years 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 were, for the entire cohort: 2.0, 5.6, 8.8, 13.1, and 23.9%; for those whose liver fibrosis index (LFI) was ≤2.0: 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, and 0.0%; for those whose LFI was 2-2.8: 0.0, 7.4, 7.4, 13.2 and 19.9%; and for those whose LFI was >2.8: 12.9, 12.9, 21.7, 31.4, and 31.4% (p = 0.011; log-rank test). Conclusions: Measurements of LFI by strain imaging can effectively predict liver cancer risk in patients with chronic HCV infection.


Blood ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 87 (5) ◽  
pp. 1704-1709 ◽  
Author(s):  
JP Hanley ◽  
LM Jarvis ◽  
J Andrew ◽  
R Dennis ◽  
PC Hayes ◽  
...  

In this study, we assessed the effectiveness of interferon treatment in 31 hemophiliacs with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Interferon alfa-2a (3 MU three times weekly) was administered for 6 months. Response was assessed by both serial alanine transaminase (ALT) and HCV RNA levels measured by a sensitive semiquantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method. HCV genotype was determined by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP), and evidence of changing genotypes during interferon therapy was sought. Severity of liver disease was assessed by both noninvasive and invasive methods, including laparoscopic liver inspection and biopsy. Sustained normalization of ALT levels occurred in eight patients (28%), and seven (24%) became nonviremic as assessed by PCR (<80 HCV/mL). Responders universally cleared HCV RNA within 2 months of starting interferon. Genotype 3a was associated with a favorable response to interferon. No evidence was found for a change in circulating genotype in patients who failed to respond to interferon or who relapsed. This study confirms that response rates to interferon are low in hemophiliacs as compared with other groups with chronic HCV infection. We have also demonstrated that virus load measurement over the first 8 to 12 weeks of treatment is an extremely useful method to identify responders at an early stage.


2013 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 33-36
Author(s):  
S. V Baramzina

In the given article the analysis of an epidemiological situation concerning chronic forms of HCV infections in adults in the Kirov region in 1995-2010 is presented. In the region during analyzed period stable trend to the elevation of incidence of chronic hepatitis C and a slight decrease in the number of "carriers" of HCV on the background of steadily low indices of the occurrence of acute hepatitis C have been fixed. There are also presented the results of genotyping of HCV-virus in 730 patients with chronic hepatitis C treated at the Kirov Region infectious hospital and polyclinics in Kirov with the dominance of HCV subtypes 1b and 3a .


2017 ◽  
Vol 152 (5) ◽  
pp. S1169-S1170
Author(s):  
Andrew J. Gilman ◽  
An K. Le ◽  
Changqing Zhao ◽  
Joseph Hoang ◽  
Lee Ann Yasukawa ◽  
...  

2014 ◽  
Vol 8s3 ◽  
pp. CMC.S17069 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nobukazu Ishizaka ◽  
Yuko Ishizaka ◽  
Minoru Yamkado

Chronic infection and associated inflammation may play a role in various unfavorable pathologic conditions, including atherosclerosis. Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is thought to be associated with a higher prevalence of atherosclerotic vascular changes in the coronary artery, cerebrovascular artery, and carotid artery; however, little is known about the precise mechanisms by which HCV enhances atherogenic processes. Furthermore, some studies have found no association, or even an inverse association, between HCV infection and atherosclerotic vascular changes or cardiovascular events. Differences in data regarding the mode of association may be because of variations in sample size, target population, and study design. Nevertheless, physicians should be aware of cardiovascular disorders as a possible comorbidity – owing to their considerable consequences – among patients with chronic HCV infection.


Author(s):  
Janet Lin ◽  
Cammeo Mauntel-Medici ◽  
Anjana Bairavi Maheswaran ◽  
Sara Baghikar ◽  
Oksana Pugach ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Chronic hepatitis C (HCV) infection affects over 2.4 million Americans and accounts for 18 000 deaths per year. Treatment initiation in this population continues to be low even after introduction of highly effective and shorter duration direct-acting antivirals. This study assesses factors that influence key milestones in the HCV care continuum. Methods Retrospective time-to-event analyses were performed to assess factors influencing liver fibrosis staging and treatment initiation among individuals confirmed with chronic HCV infection at University of Illinois Hospital and Health Sciences System between 1 August 2015 and 24 October 2016 and followed through 28 January 2018. Cox regression models were utilized for multivariable analyses. Results Individuals tested at the liver clinic (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.03; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.19–3.46) and at the federally qualified health center (HR = 3.51; 95% CI: 2.19–5.64) had higher instantaneous probability of being staged compared with individuals tested at the emergency department (ED) or inpatient setting. And probability of treatment initiation increased with advancing liver fibrosis especially for Medicaid beneficiaries (HR = 1.64; 95% CI: 1.35–1.99). Conclusions The study demonstrates a need for improving access for patients with early stages of the disease in order to reduce HCV-related morbidity and mortality, especially those tested at nontraditional care locations such as the ED or the inpatient setting.


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