The extrahepatic manifestations in hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection

Abstract

The hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection could affect not only the liver, but also other tissues, organs and systems. The number of the reported in the literature extrahepatic lesions by HCV incessantly increases. A reliable association between the infections by HCV and the mixed cryoglobulinaemias, membrano-proliferative glomerulonephritis and porphyria cutanea tarda is confirmed. The participation of HCV in the pathogenesis of some diseases of the thyroid gland, the lymphocytic sialadenitis, lichen planus, diabetes mellitus, thrombocytopenia, antiphospholipid syndrome, etc., is assumed. The extrahepatic lesions by HCV are probably connected with the participation of the immune system, but they may be as well due to the replicating virus in the affected tissues, organs and systems. The pathogenetic mechanisms of the extrahepatic and autoimmune manifestations of the infection with HCV are not elucidated, which poses difficult therapeutic problems regarding the choice of interferon and/or corticosteroid hormones.

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