Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Historical patterns of prolonged hepatitis C infection

  • Serology and Epidemiology
  • HCV
  • Published:
Gastroenterologia Japonica Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

Liver biopsies from 63 patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection have been studied. 31 were asymptomatic and had been detected by a variety of screening programs, and most of the other 32 had complained of vague symptoms only. In 57 patients a confident estimate of the duration of infection was able to be made (ranging from 12 months to over 38 years) and 73% of these had been infected for over 5 years. The most common histological pattern observed was a low-grade panacinar hepatitis. This affected 74.6% of all biopsies, and 43% of this group had been infected for over 10 years. Severe chronic active hepatitis and/or cirrhosis occurred in only 8% of the whole series, and in 16.7% of those infected for over 10 years. This incidence of serious sequelae in chronic HCV infection is much lower than previously reported, probably reflecting the methods of patient selection, and may represent more accurately the natural history of the disease in this community. The occurrence of a number of characteristic histological features (lymphoid follicles and aggregates, steatosis, Kupffer cell prominence, and apoptotic or acidophilic bodies) was confirmed, the constellation of which is highly suggestive of HCV infection. It is suggested that apoptosis may play an important role in the perpetuation of HCV as a chronic infection.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Mattsson L, Weiland O, Glaumann H. Chronic non-A, non-B hepatitis developed after transfusions, illicit self-injections or sporadically. Outcome during long-term follow-up—a comparison. Liver 1989;9: 120–127.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Schoeman MN, Liddle C, Bilous M, et al. Chronic non-A, non-B hepatitis: lack of correlation between biochemical and morphological activity, and effects of immunosuppressive therapy on disease progression. Aust NZ J Med 1990;20: 56–62.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Wejstal R, Hermodsson S, Norkrans G. Long-term follow-up of chronic hepatitis non-A non-B—with special reference to hepatitis C. Liver 1991;11: 143–148.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Di Bisceglie AM, Goodman ZD, Ishak KG, et al. Long-term clinical and histopathological follow-up of chronic posttransfusion hepatitis. Hepatology 1991;14: 969–974.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Scheuer PJ, Ashrafzadeh P, Sherlock S, et al. The pathology of hepatitis C. Hepatology 1992;15: 567–571.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Bach N, Thung SN, Schaffner F. The histological features of chronic hepatitis C and autoimmune chronic hepatitis: a comparative analysis. Hepatology 1992;15: 572–577.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Bianchi L, Spichtin HP, Gudat F. Chronic Hepatitis. Pathology of the Liver. 2nd ed. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone. 1987;310–341.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Knodell RG, Ishak KG, Black WC, et al. Formulation and application of a numerical scoring system for assessing histological activity in asymptomatic chronic active hepatitis. Hepatology 1981; 1: 431–435.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Lefkowitch JH, Apfelbaum TF. Non-A, non-B hepatitis: Characterization of liver biopsy pathology. J. Clin Gastroenterol 1989;11: 225–32.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Weiland O, Schvarcz R. Hepatitis C: virology, epidemiology, clinical course, and treatment. Scand J Gastroenterol 1992;27: 337–342.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Parés A, Barrera JM, Caballeria J, et al. Hepatitis C virus antibodies in chronic alcoholic patients: association with severity of liver injury. Hepatology 1990;12: 1295–1299.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Halimi C, Dény P, Gotheil C, et al. Pathogenesis of liver cirrhosis in alcoholic patients: histological evidence for hepatitis C virus responsibility. Liver 1991;11: 329–333.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Dienes HP, Popper H, Arnold W, et al. Histologic observations in human hepatitis non-A, non-B. Hepatology 1982;2: 562–571.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Searle J, Harmon BV, Bishop CJ, et al. The significance of cell death by apoptosis in hepatobiliary disease. J Gastroenterol Hepatol 1987;2: 77–96.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Koch F, Koch G. The molecular biology of poliovirus. Wien: Springer-Verlag. 1985;301–310.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pathology, Royal Brisbane Hospital, 4029, Herston, Queensland, Australia

    Jennifer M. Roberts & Jeffrey W. Searle

  2. Clinical Research Center, Royal Brisbane Hospital, Queensland, Australia

    W. G. E. Cooksley

Authors
  1. Jennifer M. Roberts
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jeffrey W. Searle
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. W. G. E. Cooksley
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Roberts, J.M., Searle, J.W. & Cooksley, W.G.E. Historical patterns of prolonged hepatitis C infection. Gastroenterol Jpn 28 (Suppl 5), 37–41 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02989202

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02989202

Keywords

Search

Navigation