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Rev Rhum Engl Ed 1998 Jun;65(6):372-377
Rheumatic manifestations and immunological abnormalities in patients with
chronic hepatitis C. A study in the Middle East.
al-Awadhi A, al-Jarallah K, Hasan F, Olusi S, al-Attiyah R, Sugathan
TN, al-Salem I, Attiyah Y, Sedequi H, Ahmed AH Department of Medicine, School
of Medicine, Kuwait University, Kuwait.
Hepatitis C virus infection and rheumatic disorders are both common in the
Middle East and share many clinical and immunological manifestations, raising
diagnostic problems. We compared the prevalence of extrahepatic clinical manifestations
and immunological disorders in 40 patients with chronic Hepatitis C and in 42
carefully matched healthy controls. Polyarthralgia or polyarthritis was the
most common rheumatic manifestation (35%) in the cases, followed by cutaneous
vasculitis (15%). Glomerulonephritis and xerophthalmia were uncommon, and none
of the cases had systemic vasculitis. Immunological abnormalities included serum
rheumatoid factor (47.5%), cryoglobulins (30%), and one or more antitissue antibodies
(37.5%). The prevalences of polyarthralgia, cutaneous vasculitis, rheumatoid
factor, cryoglobulinemia, and anti-tissue antibodies were significantly higher
in the Hepatitis C group than in the control group. Our data suggest that patients
in the Middle East who present with features of rheumatic or autoimmune diseases
should be screened for Hepatitis C.
PMID: 9670328, UI: 98334984
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