Organ-Specific Autoimmunity in HCV-Positive Patients

Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection predisposes patients to the onset of diseases involving other organ systems. Indeed, more than 50% of patients with HCV infection develop at least one autoimmune extrahepatic manifestation. These manifestations may be triggered by virus-induced autoimmunity with autoantibody production, autoreactive T cells, and intricate autoimmune reactions that lead to organ-specific or non-organ-specific autoimmune diseases involving the kidneys, skin, eyes, joints, nervous system, etc. Some extrahepatic manifestations of hepatitis C are relatively common (e.g., cryoglobulinemia), while others, such as autoimmune thyroid diseases or type 1 diabetes mellitus, are uncommon and their association with HCV has yet to be fully elucidated. In this chapter, we consider the main organ-specific autoimmune disorders directly related to HCV infection or indirectly induced by treatment for HCV infection, and interferons in particular.