M. El-sherif
Department of Internal
Medicine, Faculty of Medicine,
Mansoura University,
El- Mansoura, Egypt
S. El-Gamal
Department of Internal
Medicine, Faculty of Medicine,
Mansoura University,
El- Mansoura, Egypt
M.H. Bahgat
Department of Internal
Medicine, Faculty of Medicine,
Mansoura University,
El- Mansoura, Egypt
O. E. Al-Agroudy
CIinical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, El-Mansoura, Egypt, 355 1 6
Y. Zakaria
Department of Internal
Medicine, Faculty of Medicine,
Mansoura University,
El- Mansoura, Egypt
ABSTRACT
The research work was conducted to investigate the issue of anti-cardiolipin antibodies (ACAs) and HCV infection, two groups of patients had been selected; the group I (HCV group) comprised 25 patients proved to have HCV infection by PCR test and group II (thrombotic group) comprised 25 patients presented with different thrombotic events. In addition, 25 subjects were selected as a control group. For all patients, estimation of ACA-IgG was done, where 2 samples were taken and the first (initial) sample was at the start of the work. With recent thrombosis, the initial sample was withdrawn before starting heparin. The second (follow-up) sample was taken at least 2 months after the initial one. Results showed that 40% (10 / 25) of group I cases have persistently elevated ACA-IgG and further 40% of them (4 / 25) have the propensity for thrombosis, which was rather predominantly venous in nature. Fifty two percent of unexplained thrombotic cases in group II are ACA-IgG positive; thus the anti-phospholipid syndrome (APS) can account for a good percentage of unexplained thrombosis. Also, there was a significant reduction in platelet count with the rise of ACA-IgG in both groups. Therefore, the laboratory evaluation of APS is suggested to pass in two steps, catching isolated thrombocytopenia, waiting for the assessment of the ACAs as a more specific marker. Finally we can concluded that, the APS is an important additional extra-hepatic feature of HCV and should be anticipated and considered in the differential diagnosis of the different systemic features of this common hepatotropic virus. Advice to screening for the presence of APS in cases with HCV infection by ACA-IgG to be early submitted for antiviral therapy, also we suggested a further work to evaluating its probable clearance after effective successful antiviral therapy.
PDF References Citation
How to cite this article
M. El-sherif, S. El-Gamal, M.H. Bahgat, O. E. Al-Agroudy and Y. Zakaria, 2001. Antiphospholipid Syndrome and HCV Infection. Journal of Medical Sciences, 1: 129-132.
DOI: 10.3923/jms.2001.129.132
URL: https://scialert.net/abstract/?doi=jms.2001.129.132
DOI: 10.3923/jms.2001.129.132
URL: https://scialert.net/abstract/?doi=jms.2001.129.132
REFERENCES
- Asherson, R.A., M.A. Khamashta, J. Ordi-Ros, R.H. Derksen and S.J. Machin, 1989. The primary antiphospholipid syndrome: Major clinical and serological features. Medicine (Baltimore), 68: 366-374.
PubMedDirect Link - Dickson, R.C., 1997. Clinical manifestations of hepatitis C. Clin. Liver Dis., 1: 569-585.
PubMedDirect Link - Nahass, G.T., 1997. Antiphospholipid antibodies and the antiphospholipid antibody syndrome. J. Am. Acad. Dermatol., 36: 149-171.
CrossRefDirect Link - Harris, E.N., A.E. Gharavi, U. Hegde, G. Derue and S.H. Morgan et al., 1985. Anticardiolipin antibodies in autoimmune thrombocytopenic purpura. Br. J. Haematol., 59: 231-234.
CrossRefDirect Link - Mackworth-Young, C., 1990. Antiphospholipid antibodies: More than just a disease marker? Immunol. Today, 11: 60-65.
CrossRefPubMedDirect Link - McCrae, K.R., A. De Michele, P. Samuels, D. Roth and A. Kuo et al., 1991. Detection of endothelial cell-reactive immunoglobulin in patients with anti-phospholipid antibodies. Br. J. Haematol., 79: 595-605.
CrossRefPubMedDirect Link - McNeil, H.P., C.N. Chesterman and S.A. Krilis, 1991. Immunology and clinical importance of antiphospholipid antibodies. Adv. Immunol., 49: 193-280.
PubMedDirect Link - Prieto, J., J.R. Yuste, O. Beloqui, M.P. Civeira, J.I. Riezu, B. Aguirre and B. Sangro, 1996. Anticardiolipin antibodies in chronic hepatitis C: Implication of hepatitis C virus as the cause of the antiphospholipid syndrom. Hepatology, 23: 199-204.
CrossRefDirect Link