[Hepatitis and posthepatic cirrhosis in AIDS]

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1996. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

[Hepatitis and posthepatic cirrhosis in AIDS]

Verh Dtsch Ges Pathol. 1995;79:249-53. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE MED/96170460
Bierhoff E; Fischer HP; Pfeifer U; Rockstroh J; Spengler U; Pathologisches Institut, Rheinischen; Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universitat Bonn.

Abstract: Liver biopsy (n = 35) and autopsy (n = 71) specimens from HIV infected HCV-positive and HCV-negative haemophiliacs and non-haemophiliacs and liver biopsies (n = 33) from HIV-negative HCV-infected haemophiliacs and non-haemophiliacs were studied by histo- and immunohistochemistry to investigate the influence of HIV-coinfection on chronic C hepatitis (> 10 years duration). Almost all HIV-infected patients had a CD4 cell counts < 200/microns3. In biopsies and autopsies HCV-infection lead to stronger portal, periportal and lobular inflammatory changes independent from HIV-infection and haemophilia. However, HIV-infected patients with HCV-coinfection showed much more granulocytic infiltrates, particularly in the small bile ducts. In biopsies and autopsies HCV infection was associated with a stronger (centrilobular) fibrosis, particularly in HIV-positive haemophiliacs, and significantly stronger compared to HCV-negative patients. In the autopsy group half of the HIV-infected and HCV-positive haemophiliacs (n = 20) had developed posthepatitic liver cirrhosis due to C hepatitis, contrasted by two liver cirrhosis in HCV-infected non-haemophiliacs (n = 6) due to chronic B and C hepatitis and chronic alcohol abuse; no liver cirrhosis was observed in HIV-positive HCV-negative non-haemophiliacs (n = 45). Cholestasis and mild granulocytic cholangiolitis was a predominant feature in HIV/HCV-coinfection and similar distributed in haemophiliacs and non-haemophiliacs. The findings are suggestive that HIV-coinfection aggravates the course of a preceding hepatitis C virus infection, by a more granulocytic inflammatory infiltrate, stronger (centrilobular) fibrosis followed by a high incidence of posthepatitic cirrhosis--particularly in multitransfused haemophiliacs--and by cholestatic hepatopathy.

Keywords: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/*COMPLICATIONS/IMMUNOLOGY/ PATHOLOGY Adult Autopsy Biopsy Comparative Study CD4 Lymphocyte Count English Abstract Female Hemophilia/PATHOLOGY/VIROLOGY Hepatitis/*COMPLICATIONS/IMMUNOLOGY/PATHOLOGY Hepatitis B/COMPLICATIONS/IMMUNOLOGY/PATHOLOGY Hepatitis C/COMPLICATIONS/PATHOLOGY Human HIV Infections/*COMPLICATIONS/IMMUNOLOGY/PATHOLOGY Liver Cirrhosis/*COMPLICATIONS/IMMUNOLOGY/PATHOLOGY Male Middle Age Retrospective Studies JOURNAL ARTICLE
960730
M9670486

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