PORPHYRIA-CUTANEA-TARDA AND HEPATITIS-C AND HEPATITIS-B VIRUSES INFECTION - A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY

Based on the knowledge that patients with porphyria cutanea tarda (PCT ) usually have chronic Liver disease, several authors studied a possib le relationship to hepatotropic virus infections. However, the prevale nce of hepatitis B virus (HBV)-DNA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in serum of these patients, as weLI as the presence of hepatitis C vir us (HCV)-RNA in paired liver, peripherat blood mononuclear cells (PBMC s), and serum samples in these patients has not been reported. We have studied 34 patients with sporadic PCT, Antibodies against HBV were de tected in 91% of the patients, but in only 41% of the patients against HBV (P < .01). Viral genomes of HCV and HBV were detected in 65% and 40% of our patients, respectively (P < .05), Genomic and antigenomic H CV strands were found in liver biopsy specimens (100% and 54%), mononu clear cells (100% and 54%), and serum (45% and 0%) from 11 patients, T welve patients were retrospectively studied, and no correlation was ob served between the appearance or disappearance of viral genomes and th e simultaneous presence of both genomes with tbe course of porphyria. In our patients with PCT, detection of viral genomes did not correlate with phlebotomy or length of time since PCT was diagnosed. Our findin gs demonstrate that HCV infection may be underestimated when detection is performed only in serum of PCT patients, and that HBV infection mi ght also be increased in PCT.