Age at Infection Influences Outcome of Hepatitis C
Age at Infection Influences Outcome of Hepatitis C
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Jul 19 - In patients with transfusion-associated
hepatitis C, age at infection influences the likelihood of progression to
cirrhosis, according to Italian researchers.
Dr. Dario Conte of Ospidale Maggiore, Milan, and colleagues note that during
the 1980s, before screening of donors was introduced, about 10% of patients
receiving transfusions in Italy developed hepatitis C.
In order to assess risks factors for progression to cirrhosis, the
researchers eventually identified 268 patients with hepatitis C who recalled
a single and precisely dated transfusion event and showed no other cause of
chronic liver disease. All underwent ultrasound-guided liver biopsy.
As reported in the June 15th issue of Blood, 54 of these patients (20.1%)
were found to have cirrhosis, at a mean of 18.4 years after blood
transfusion. Multivariate analysis showed that this was independently
associated with serum levels of alanine aminotransferase and with age at
biopsy, duration of followup and age at infection.
The investigators calculate that over a period of 30 years, patients aged 21
to 30 years at the time of hepatitis C virus infection are 4.51 times more
likely to develop cirrhosis than those aged 20 years or less. In those
older than 31 years at infection, the corresponding risk ratio is 12.29.
The researchers recommend that "an aggressive therapeutic approachshould be
adopted in patients infected by hepatitis C virus at an older age to prevent
progression to end-stage liver disease."
Blood 2002;99:4588-4591.