Journal of Clinical and Cellular Immunology
Open Access
ISSN: 2155-9899
ISSN: 2155-9899
Laura Iliescu
Accepted Abstracts: J Clin Cell Immunol
HCV infection is associated with several autoimmune co-morbidities such as cryoglobulinaemia, or even malignant pathologies, for example lymphomas. Many HCV patients have circulating autoantibodies. For example, 70% of patients with hepatitis C have circulating rheumatoid factor. Approximately one third have cryoglobulins, and anywhere from 13% to 21% have low-titer or high-titer antinuclear antibodies (ANA). A slightly lower percentage have smooth muscle antibodies? about 5% have antibodies to liver or kidney microsomes?and about 7% have antithyroid antibodies. A direct relationship between systemic lupus (SLE) and HCV infection has been described. There may be a possible causal link between HCV and SLE: there is a high prevalence of HCV infection in SLE patients and a higher prevalence of liver involvement in HCV- positive patients with SLE. Constant immune proliferation and clonal expansion of B cells driven by hepatitis C can at times transfer or progress to B-cell lymphoma. In HCV patients, B cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma may evolve either related to mixed cryoglobulinaemia type II or in patients without cryoglobulinaemia. This talk aims to draw the attention towards the importance of correct and complete evaluation of HCV patients in respect to such co-morbidities. The author will discuss three cases of HCV infection associated with different pathologies (cryoglobulinaemia, SLE, B cell lymphoma), study their diagnosis, evolution and prognosis from the clinical and paraclinical point of views and review the literature data.