Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and cryoglobulinemia: Analysis of whole blood and plasma HCV‐RNA concentrations and correlation with liver histology

Warren N Schmidt; Jack T Stapleton; Douglas R LaBrecque; Frank A Mitros; Patricia A Kirby; Mary Jeanne Perino Phillips; Donna L Brashear

doi:10.1002/hep.510310326

Back

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and cryoglobulinemia: Analysis of whole blood and plasma HCV‐RNA concentrations and correlation with liver histology

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and cryoglobulinemia: Analysis of whole blood and plasma HCV‐RNA concentrations and correlation with liver histology

Warren N Schmidt, Jack T Stapleton, Douglas R LaBrecque, Frank A Mitros, Patricia A Kirby, Mary Jeanne Perino Phillips and Donna L Brashear

Hepatology (Baltimore, Md.), Vol.31(3), pp.737-744

03/2000

DOI: 10.1002/hep.510310326

PMID: 10706566

Files and links (1)

url

https://doi.org/10.1002/hep.510310326View

Published (Version of record) Open Access

Abstract

The influence of cryoprecipitate (CP) on liver histology and peripheral titers of hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA was evaluated for 115 patients with chronic hepatitis. Fifty‐four patients had measurable CP levels whereas 61 did not. Assessment of liver biopsies for grade of fibrosis revealed that patients with CP had increased fibrosis (P < .001) and incidence of cirrhosis (P = .001) compared with those without CP. In contrast, there was not a significant difference in the inflammatory activity score between the 2 groups. HCV RNA in whole blood (WB) and plasma (Pl) was evaluated in patients with or without CP by end‐point–limiting dilution titer. Among patients with CP, WB titers were significantly higher than Pl titers (P < .001); however, there was no difference in WB or Pl titers in patients without CP (P = .068). Histological activity and fibrosis scores of patients from either group were compared with peripheral viral titers of WB and Pl, percentage of CP, rheumatoid factor (RF) titer, and serum alanine transaminase (ALT). There were significant correlations between the amount of fibrosis and the percentage of CP and rheumatoid factor titer, yet neither of the latter parameters was correlated with inflammatory activity. These data suggest that patients with CP and chronic hepatitis owing to HCV are more likely to have progressive disease than patients without CP. Furthermore, the presence of CP in patients infected with HCV appears to influence the amount of virus detected in patient Pl, suggesting that WB assays may be more reliable for HCV‐RNA quantitation in patients with CP.

Details

Title: Subtitle: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and cryoglobulinemia: Analysis of whole blood and plasma HCV‐RNA concentrations and correlation with liver histology
Creators: Warren N Schmidt
Jack T Stapleton
Douglas R LaBrecque
Frank A Mitros
Patricia A Kirby
Mary Jeanne Perino Phillips
Donna L Brashear
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Hepatology (Baltimore, Md.), Vol.31(3), pp.737-744
Publisher: W.B. Saunders
DOI: 10.1002/hep.510310326
PMID: 10706566
ISSN: 0270-9139
eISSN: 1527-3350
Number of pages: 8
Grant note: Merit Review Award of the Veterans Administration (J.T.S.) Integrated Therapeutics Group, Inc. (D.R.L., W.N.S., J.T.S.) National Institutes of Health (W.N.S.) (1 KO8 A101460‐01) University of Iowa Clinical Research Center Schering Plough Research Institute (D.R.L., W.N.S.)
Language: English
Date published: 03/2000
Academic Unit: Microbiology and Immunology; Infectious Diseases; Gastroenterology and Hepatology; Pathology; Internal Medicine
Record Identifier: 9984094538702771

Metrics

10 Record Views

44 Times Cited - Web of Science