Hepatitis C and hepatitis B virus infections in the etiopathogenesis of pemphigus

Abstract

BACKGROUND Previous studies have shown that some viral infections may be triggers for autoimmune diseases. The role of viral infections in the etiopathogenesis of pemphigus has also been investigated. OBJECTIVESTo investigate the relationship between pemphigus and the hepatitis B and C virus infections. METHODSThis retrospective study included 62 patients with pemphigus and 50 healthy controls of matching ages and genders. The control group included relatives who accompanied the orthopedic patients to the hospital but had no history of systemic and/or autoimmune diseases. RESULTSThe group of patients with pemphigus was composed of 43 (69.3%) females and 19 (29.7%) males, and the mean age was 48.08 ± 15.38. The hepatitis C virus antibody was negative in all of the patients. Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), hepatitis B surface antibody (HBsAb), or both, were studied in 44 of the 62 patients. Two (4.3%) of these patients were positive for HBsAg and found to have HBV infection. Fourteen of them were HBsAb positive. Two (4%) of the 50 control subjects showed hepatitis C virus antibody positivity, while only 1 (2%) patient with pemphigus displayed HBsAg positivity. There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups for hepatitis B and C virus infections. CONCLUSIONSThis study does not support an association between pemphigus and hepatitis B and/or C virus infections.

Association of serious infections with pemphigus and pemphigoid: analysis of the Nationwide Inpatient Sample

“…However, we did not observe increased odds of cytomegalovirus or Cryptococcus, when compared with control subjects. Previous studies found conflicting results whether pemphigus is associated with hepatitis virus infections . The present study found no associations of pemphigus or pemphigoid with hepatitis A, B or C virus infections in bivariable or multivariable models.…”

“…Previous studies found conflicting results whether pemphigus is associated with hepatitis virus infections. [16][17][18][19] The present study found no associations of pemphigus or pemphigoid with hepatitis A, B or C virus infections in bivariable or multivariable models. We found significant interactions with excess odds of infections in patients with Cushing's syndrome (secondary to excessive corticosteroid use) as a proxy for excessive steroid use since medication data was not available.…”

Comorbid diseases associated with pemphigus: a case‐control study

“…Autoimmune bullous diseases have long been considered serious disorders with involvement only of the skin and/or mucosae, not associated with damage of other organs and therefore not necessarily requiring screening for other additional diseases. Recent studies have questioned this statement, suggesting that autoimmune blistering diseases should not be considered as an isolated condition but a complex disorder in which the cutaneous and/or mucosal involvement is only the most visible epiphenomenon of a general inflammatory state [11]. Indeed, the immune dysregulation, the disrupted skin barrier and the subsequent decreased physical activity may explain the significant inpatient burden and higher rates of medical comorbid diseases in these patients, as confirmed by several studies [12–14].…”

Pemphigus: trigger and predisposing factors

“…EBV DNA has been found in pemphigus patients skin biopsy and elevated EBV IgG titers in peripheral blood, suggesting a link between EBV infections and the onset of pemphigus ( 84 ). Several authors investigated the possible link between hepatitis B and C virus and pemphigus ( 90 , 114–116 ). In a population based study, Kridin and coworkers found that pemphigus patients have a higher prevalence of hepatitis B virus chronic infection than the controls, although no significant difference was detected for hepatitis C virus chronic infection ( 90 ).…”