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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.

Baseline serum levels of interleukin-2 receptor (IL2R) were measured in 65 patients with active psoriasis. IL2R levels in psoriatic patients were significantly higher than in healthy controls (582.4 +/- 289.23 u/ml vs. 369.64 +/- 111.10 u/ml; P less than 0.05), but did not differ statistically from values found in an atopic dermatitis control group (619.88 +/- 254.27 u/ml). Sex, age and severity of the disease do not affect levels of IL2R. The same IL2R levels were measured in 26 psoriatic patients receiving UVB plus tar therapy. This therapy, continued until clinical remission, lowered IL2R levels to values comparable to controls. This decrease may be due to an immunosuppressive effect of therapy.