Magda Pârvu *, C. Tănăsescu *, Şt. Lazăr **, Irina Anthoi **
* Magda Pârvu – medic primar; Coman Tămăsescu – profesor doctor; – Clinica medicală B a spitalului “N. Gh. Lupu”, Bucureşti
** Irina Antohi, Ştefan Lazăr, medici rezidenți, Clinica medicală B a spitalului “N. Gh. Lupu”, Bucureşti
Abstract
We investigated the significance of chronic hepatitis B and C virus infection (HBV), (HCV) in some connective tissue diseases including systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and ankylosing spondilitis (AS). 106 patients were studied: 57 with SLE, 26 with RA and 23 with AS. There were perfomed complex biochemical and immunology tests, HLA, Elisa tests with Riba confirmation for detecting HCV and HBV. No immunization against HBV was done previously. We conclude that there is no high prevalence of HCV or HBV infection in SLE or RA compared to the control group. As for the AS HLA B27 (+) group there is a high prevalence of HBV infection (80% of the patients), 42% having signs of present infection. The association SLE-HCV favors the visceral involvement especially renal ones, while the presence of HBV infection is associated with decrease lupus activity. ln RA, HCV induces IgG-IgM rheumatoid factor with complement activation, being considered as a trigger of the disease in HLA DR4 patients. In AS HLA B27 (+), HBV may also trigger the development of the disease in genetically susceptible individuals.