HUMAN-IMMUNODEFICIENCY-VIRUS INFECTION AND HEPATITIS-C PATHOLOGY

To investigate the possible influence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection on hepatitis C virus-related liver disease, liver morphology was evaluated in 160 HBsAg-negative patients with chronic hepatitis C, including 68 HIV-positive and 92 HIV-negative cases. No differences were detected in the severity of necro-inflammatory hepatic lesions between HIV-negative and HIV-positive patients when the CD4+ lymphocytes count exceeded 400 cells/mm(3). In contrast, HIV-positive patients with CD4+ lymphocytes below 400/mm(3) showed a significantly lower grade of portal inflammation and piecemeal necrosis. These results suggest that liver lesions in hepatitis C may largely depend on immunomediated mechanisms.