TY - JOUR
T1 - Influence of age and autoimmunity on liver disease in HCV-associated type II mixed cryoglobulinemia
AU - De Rosa, Francesco G.
AU - Pucillo, Leopoldo P.
AU - Coviello, Rossella
AU - Pirro, Maria Rosaria
AU - Fiaschetti, Pamela
AU - Candela, Marco
AU - Gabrielli, Armando
AU - Laganà, Bruno
AU - Fiorilli, Massimo
AU - Casato, Milvia
PY - 2002/9
Y1 - 2002/9
N2 - It has been suggested that hepatitis C virus (HCV) infected patients with type II mixed cryoglobulinemia have less extensive liver damage than patients without cryoglobulinemia. We retrospectively evaluated 35 patients with type II mixed cryoglobulinemia associated with HCV infection, seeking for factors associated with normal alanine aminotransferase (ALT) values. The presence of anti-GOR and of other autoantibodies, including the recently described anti-LAG-3.1, was specifically investigated. Fifty-four percent of patients had anti-GOR, 46% anti-LAG-3.1, 40% anti-smooth muscle, 17% anti-nuclear, and 11% anti-liver-kidney microsome 1 antibodies. Anti-GOR was significantly (p = 0.037) associated with anti-LAG-3.1 but not with other autoantibodies. Persistently abnormal ALT levels were observed in 54% of patients. By univariate analyses, abnormal ALT was significantly associated with anti-GOR positivity (p = 0.018) and younger age (p = 0.03). Multivariate regression analysis confirmed that these variables were independently associated with abnormal ALT. Our data suggest that the presence of autoimmune manifestations as well as unidentified age-related host factor(s) may protect from liver injury in HCV-associated cryoglobulinemia.
AB - It has been suggested that hepatitis C virus (HCV) infected patients with type II mixed cryoglobulinemia have less extensive liver damage than patients without cryoglobulinemia. We retrospectively evaluated 35 patients with type II mixed cryoglobulinemia associated with HCV infection, seeking for factors associated with normal alanine aminotransferase (ALT) values. The presence of anti-GOR and of other autoantibodies, including the recently described anti-LAG-3.1, was specifically investigated. Fifty-four percent of patients had anti-GOR, 46% anti-LAG-3.1, 40% anti-smooth muscle, 17% anti-nuclear, and 11% anti-liver-kidney microsome 1 antibodies. Anti-GOR was significantly (p = 0.037) associated with anti-LAG-3.1 but not with other autoantibodies. Persistently abnormal ALT levels were observed in 54% of patients. By univariate analyses, abnormal ALT was significantly associated with anti-GOR positivity (p = 0.018) and younger age (p = 0.03). Multivariate regression analysis confirmed that these variables were independently associated with abnormal ALT. Our data suggest that the presence of autoimmune manifestations as well as unidentified age-related host factor(s) may protect from liver injury in HCV-associated cryoglobulinemia.
KW - Anti-GOR
KW - HCV
KW - Liver disease
KW - Mixed cryoglobulinemia
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U2 - 10.1016/S0198-8859(02)00423-8
DO - 10.1016/S0198-8859(02)00423-8
M3 - Article
C2 - 12175729
AN - SCOPUS:0036729427
VL - 63
SP - 751
EP - 757
JO - Human Immunology
JF - Human Immunology
SN - 0198-8859
IS - 9
ER -