Castillo Inmaculada, Bartolomé Javier, Quiroga Juan Antonio, Barril Guillermina, Carreño Vicente
Fundación para el Estudio de Hepatitis Virales, Madrid, Spain.
J Med Virol. 2009 Jul;81(7):1198-203. doi: 10.1002/jmv.21483.
Family members of patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection are at increased risk of HCV infection but the prevalence of HCV among family members of patients with occult HCV infection is not known. Anti-HCV, serum HCV RNA and levels of liver enzymes were determined in 102 family members of 50 index patients with occult HCV infection and in 118 family members of 59 chronic hepatitis C index patients. HCV RNA and/or anti-HCV were detected in 10/102 (9.8%) relatives of patients with occult HCV infection and in 4/118 (3.4%) of patients with chronic hepatitis C. Fourteen additional family members (seven were relatives of index patients with occult HCV infection) had abnormal values of liver enzymes without serological markers of HCV infection. Two of these patients (who were relatives of two index patients with occult HCV infection) underwent a liver biopsy and were diagnosed with an occult HCV infection because HCV RNA was detected in the liver cells in the absence of serological HCV markers. In conclusion, the prevalence of HCV infection among family members of patients with occult HCV infection was similar to that found among family members of patients with chronic hepatitis C. This stresses the need to adopt strategies to prevent the transmission of HCV in the family setting of patients with occult HCV infection.
慢性丙型肝炎病毒（HCV）感染患者的家庭成员感染HCV的风险增加，但隐匿性HCV感染患者家庭成员中HCV的流行情况尚不清楚。对50例隐匿性HCV感染的索引患者的102名家庭成员以及59例慢性丙型肝炎索引患者的118名家庭成员进行了抗HCV、血清HCV RNA和肝酶水平检测。在隐匿性HCV感染患者的10/102（9.8%）名亲属以及慢性丙型肝炎患者的4/118（3.4%）名亲属中检测到HCV RNA和/或抗HCV。另有14名家庭成员（7名是隐匿性HCV感染索引患者的亲属）肝酶值异常，但无HCV感染的血清学标志物。其中两名患者（分别是两名隐匿性HCV感染索引患者的亲属）接受了肝活检，被诊断为隐匿性HCV感染，因为在没有血清学HCV标志物的情况下，肝细胞中检测到了HCV RNA。总之，隐匿性HCV感染患者家庭成员中HCV感染的流行率与慢性丙型肝炎患者家庭成员中的流行率相似。这强调了在隐匿性HCV感染患者的家庭环境中采取预防HCV传播策略的必要性。
