The natural history of chronic HCV carriers with repeatHepatitis C virus (HCV) carriers with normal aminotransedly normal alanine transaminase (ALT) activities is still unferase levels often show histological chronic hepatitis. This known. Although chronic hepatitis was observed in most study was undertaken to determine the effect of interferon cases, 4-7 the potential progression of liver damage to cirrhosis (IFN) in such patients. Nineteen HCV carriers with normal irrespective of liver enzyme levels cannot be excluded. Furaminotransferase activities and chronic hepatitis were ranthermore, the characteristics of the virological response to domized to receive IFN-a2b (3 million units 3 times weekly antiviral treatment in this group of patients has not been for 12 months) or no treatment. Therapy was monitored by analyzed. These observations suggested a pilot study of the qualitative and quantitative determination of viral RNA. Paresponse to interferon (IFN) in patients with normal ALT tients who did not clear HCV RNA after 6 months disconlevels and chronic hepatitis. None of the subjects included in this study reported alcohol abuse, intravenous drug use, or sexual activity with multiple partThe availability of serological tests for antibodies to hepatiners. Five subjects had previously received blood transfusion(s).tis C virus (anti-HCV) has allowed the identification of Hepatitis B surface antigen was negative in all cases, whereas antichronic infection in subjects without symptoms or biochemibodies to hepatitis B core antigen and hepatitis B surface antigen cal signs of liver disease.
Forty-one percent of anti-HCV-positive donors with persistently normal ALT had active HCV infection. Long-term ALT monitoring allowed the detection of significantly increased enzyme values in only 2 of 16 viremic donors. Reactivity on RIBA-2 or -3, greater age, mean ALT levels in the upper range of normal, higher S:CO ratio on second-generation enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and higher gamma globulin levels were predictive of viremia.
LNER
ISSN 0106-9543Virological characterization and liver histology in HCV positive subjects with elevated ALT levels normal and Rossini A, Ravaggi A, Agostinelli E, Bercich L, Gazzola GB, Radaeli E, Callea F, Cariani E. Virological characterization and liver histology in HCV positive subjects with normal and elevated ALT levels.Abstract: We analyzed HCV genotype and RNA titer in 36 chronically infected subjects, 20 with persistently normal or near-normal alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activity and 16 with raised ALT activity. All subjects underwent liver biopsy and evaluation of the histological activity index (HAI) by both Knodell's and Ishak's scoring systems. Genotype 2 was detected in most subjects with normal ALT activity, whereas genotype 1 was more frequent among subjects with raised ALT activity. HCV-RNA titer was higher in subjects with increased ALT. Histological evidence of chronic hepatitis was documented in all cases, but higher scores for grading and for staging were associated with increased ALT activity. HCV genotype had no statistical relationship with RNA titer or with liver histology. In logistic regression analysis, viral genotype, RNA titer and histological scores for grading and staging were correlated independently with the ALT profile. The evidence of chronic hepatitis in all subjects with persistently normal ALT activity suggests that healthy HCV carriage is a rare event.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.