The frequency of viral hepatitis C in patients with porphyria cutanea tarda

BACKGROUND: High frequency of hepatitis C virus antibodies was recently ascertained in chronic hepatic porphyria in several European countries. Some authors correlate these findings with the development of PCT, considering hepatitis C-infection further factor capable of triggering clinical and laboratory manifestation of this enzymopathy. The task of the present work was to ascertain the frequency of HCV antibodies in PCT in Czech Republic by examining an extensive group of patients, followed at the porphyria-advise center. METHODS AND RESULTS: The frequency of HCV antibodies was investigated in 92 PCT-patients with the second-generation enzymatic ELISA method. At the same time, urinary porphyrin excretion and liver function tests were examined in these subjects. Simultaneously also the results of liver biopsy performed at the first presentation of the patients were taken into account. Statistically significant increase of anti-HCV antibodies (21.7%) was found in PCT-group in comparison with the results of the group of healthy blood donors (0.16%). CONCLUSIONS: HCV-infection might possibly be a factor responsible for the development of PCT in case of proven time-dependent link between the existence of its active viraemic phase and initial symptoms of porphyria. Such an evidence has not been provided yet and remains a task for future studies.