HEPATITIS-C VIRUS-INFECTION DETECTED BY VIRAL-RNA ANALYSIS IN PORPHYRIA-CUTANEA-TARDA

The high prevalence (62%) of anti-HCV in patients with porphyria cutan ea tarda (PCT) found in a recent study prompted us to speculate that h epatitis C virus (HCV) infection could contribute to liver damage in t his disease. The relationship between a positive serologic test and in fertility remains elusive, as anti-HCV false-positive reactivity has b een described in some patients with chronic liver disease. Hence, it n eeds to be established if HCV infection plays a role in the pathogenes is of liver injury, or anti-HCV positivity may be an epiphenomenon in PCT patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the existence of t rue HCV infection by verifying the presence of serum viral RNA in pati ents with PCT. HCV RNA was studied in sera from 36 patients with clini cal and biochemical features of PCT using a polymerase chain reaction technique. Additionally, 26 patients with chronic alcoholic liver dise ase and 29 patients with different dermatological lesions but with no liver disease were studied as control groups. HCV RNA was positive in 29 of 36 patients (80.5%) with anti-HCV positive PCT. For alcoholic li ver disease and dermatological disease controls the values for HCV RNA were 11.5% and 3.4%, respectively. HCV infection was found to be sign ificantly higher in patients with PCT than in controls (P <0.001), dem onstrating that most subjects with clinically expressed PCT have true HCV infection. These data support the hypothesis that liver damage in some patients with PCT may be attributed to prolonged HCV infection, s uggesting that treatment for chronic hepatitis C could be indicated.