Extrahepatic manifestations associated with chronic hepatitis C infections in Poland.

PURPOSE

To assess the prevalence and predictive factors of extrahepatic manifestation (EM) in patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) infection in Poland.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

340 consecutive patients (mean age: 42 years) with untreated CHC were studied between 2000 and 2006. The HCV infection was defined by positive serology and serum HCV RNA. The inflammation grade and fibrosis stage were assessed according to Ishak. Demographic, laboratory and liver biopsy data were collected. The patients with liver cirrhosis, concomitant HBV or HIV infection, autoimmune liver diseases and alcohol abusers were excluded from the analysis.

RESULTS

210 patients with CHC (61.7%) presented at least 1 extrahepatic manifestation, including mixed cryoglobulinemia (37.1%), thrombocytopenia (27.6%), thyroid autoimmunity (16.2%), dermatological disorders (4.1%) and type 2 diabetes (4.1%). Other EM such as the sicca syndrome, nephropathy, polyneuropathy and B-cell lymphoma were observed in single cases. In multivariate analysis lower platelet count was found as a predictive factor of EM in patients with CHC.

CONCLUSIONS

The majority of patients with CHC, living in Poland, have EM, of which cryoglobulinemia, thrombocytopenia, thyroid autoimmunity, dermatological disorders and type 2 diabetes are most common. Through the multivariate analysis the lower platelet predicts extrahepatic manifestations associated with chronic hepatitis C.