Anti-C1q in chronic hepatitis C Virus genotype IV infection: association with autoimmune rheumatologic manifestations

Abstract

A growing body of evidence suggests that anti-complement-1q (anti-C1q) antibodies are elevated in a variety of autoimmune disease. Therefore, we investigated their prevalence and clinical significance in plasma of patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype IV in the presence and absence of autoimmune extra hepatic manifestations in comparison to normal healthy individuals. Plasma Anti-C1q Abs levels were assessed by an Enzyme Linked Immunosorbant Assay in 91 chronic HCV-infected patients (51 with and 40 without autoimmune rheumatic manifestations) and 40 healthy volunteers matched for age and gender. Epidemiological, clinical, immunochemical and virological data were prospectively collected. Positive Anti-C1q antibodies were more frequent among HCV patients with extra-hepatic autoimmune involvement, than those without and healthy control subjects. No significant correlations were found between Anti-C1q levels with either the liver activity or the fibrosis scores. In HCV-patients with autoimmune involvements, plasma Anti-C1q levels were significantly higher in patients with positive cryoglobulin, and in those with lymphoma than in those without. These results were confirmed by multivariate analysis. Further large scale longitudinal studies are required to assess and clarify the significance and the pathogenic role of anti-C1q antibodies among HCV infected patients with positive cryoglobulinaemia and lymphoma.

The Complement System and C1q in Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Infection and Mixed Cryoglobulinemia

“…Although the C1q is a major component of HCV-induced cryoprecipitate, to the best of our knowledge there are no published studies addressing this issue. Low levels of C1q and a significant prevalence of anti-C1q autoantibodies are shared features of SLE and HCV-induced cryoglobulinemia ( 36 , 73 , 102 , 103 ).…”

Interleukin-17A and B-cell activating factor in chronic hepatitis C patients with or without asymptomatic mixed cryoglobulinemia: effects of antiviral treatment and correlations with vitamin D

“…The immune responses are highly complex and not well defined. Extrahepatic autoimmune involvement with abnormal immune responses mediated by both T and B lymphocytes is observed in CHC, mainly in those with cryoglobulinemia [ 21 , 22 ]. Nevertheless, the role of different IL-17A-secreting T cells on CHC patients with MC is less clear.…”

Rheumatologic manifestations of hepatic diseases

“…Interestingly, a study demonstrated a higher prevalence of anti-C1q autoantibodies among patients with HCV and rheumatologic manifestations, compared to patients with HCV without these manifestations. This study also demonstrated an increased prevalence of anti-C1q autoantibodies in patients infected with HCV with mixed cryoglobulinemia and lymphoma, opening the possibility of their use as a biomarker for the diagnosis of lymphoma [38].…”