[Morphological features of chronic viral hepatitis C in drug abusers].

The morphological features of chronic viral hepatitis C were studied on specimens from 33 autopsy cases of heroinomania. A comparison group was presented with liver biopsy specimens taken in 17 cases corresponding to those of the study drug non-abusers diagnosed as having chronic viral hepatitis C. Chronic viral hepatitis C in drug abusers as compared to drug non-abusers was characterized by more pronounced hepatocytic dystrophic changes, less significant inflammatory infiltration of the portal tracts, a higher incidence of cholestasis with reactive changes in the epithelium of the biliary tract, fibrosis of the central venous walls. On immunohistochemical detection of hepatitis C virus NS3 antigen, an immunohistochemical reaction was less evident in the drug-abusers than in non-abusers, which showed the less replicative activity of hepatitis C virus in the liver of drug-abusers, which was caused by pronounced hepatocytic dystrophic changes and secondary immunodeficiency.