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Inflammation biomarkers in chronic hepatitis C: association with liver histopathology, HCV genotype and cryoglobulinemia

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Abstract

Objective

This work investigated the profile of inflammation biomarkers in patients with chronic hepatitis C and its association with liver fibrosis, hepatic necroinflammatory activity, viral genotypes and cryoglobulinemia.

Subjects and methods

Seventy-eight untreated patients were studied. Biomarker levels were determined by immunoassays, cryoglobulinemia by cryoprecipitation and liver histopathology investigated using METAVIR scores.

Results

Decreased levels of α1-acid glycoprotein (AGP), C3 and haptoglobin (Hp) were observed in the patients (P < 0.0001). Increased α1-antitrypsin (P < 0.01) and ferritin (P < 0.0001) levels were found in this group, but C-reactive protein (CRP) and C4 levels were unaltered. Alanine aminotransferase inversely correlated with Hp (P < 0.01) and AGP (P = 0.01), whereas it was directly correlated with ferritin (P < 0.05) and AGP (P < 0.0001). The levels of CRP, C3 and C4 were lower in the patients with hepatic necroinflammatory activity (P < 0.05). Patients with advanced fibrosis had low levels of Hp and AGP (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01, respectively). Neither infection with different viral genotypes nor cryoglobulinemia caused an alteration in biomarker levels.

Conclusion

Chronic hepatitis C virus infection alters the levels of some biomarkers, which are mainly observed in patients with liver fibrosis and hepatic necroinflammatory activity.

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Acknowledgments

Maria L.B. Sousa Atta, Ajax M. Atta and R. Paraná have fellowships for Research Productivity from the Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq). The research was supported by CNPq (No.486187/2006-3).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Análises Clínicas e Toxicológicas, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, Brazil

    Maria Atta & Ajax Atta

  2. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Farmácia, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, Brazil

    Milena Cabral

  3. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Imunologia, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, Brazil

    Gilvan Santos

  4. Serviço de Gastroenterologia do Complexo Hospitalar Professor Edgard Santos, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, Brazil

    Raymundo Paraná

Authors
  1. Maria Atta
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  2. Milena Cabral
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  3. Gilvan Santos
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  4. Raymundo Paraná
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  5. Ajax Atta
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Maria Atta.

Additional information

Responsible Editor: Kumar Visvanathan.

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Atta, M., Cabral, M., Santos, G. et al. Inflammation biomarkers in chronic hepatitis C: association with liver histopathology, HCV genotype and cryoglobulinemia. Inflamm. Res. 61, 1101–1106 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00011-012-0502-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00011-012-0502-2

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