ackground : It is generally accepted that development of liver disease in alcoholics is
related to alcohol consumption. However, only 10∼20% of alcoholics have severe liver
disease, and therefore it has been suggested that other factors such as genetic, environmental,
nutritional and infectious factors including HBV or NANB virus, influence the presence of
liver damage. As an assay for HCV antibody becomes available, it has been attracting a
substantially increasing interest to study the influence of HCV upon alcoholic liver disease.
But in Korea there are few reported studies in the area.
Method : To evaluate the prevalence of hepatitis C virus antibodies in chronic alcoholics
and its relationship to the severity of liver disease in chronic alcoholics in Korea, anti-HCV
was tested in sera from 62 HBsAg negative chronic alcoholics who had consumed more than
80 gm of ethanol daily for at least 5yr and anti-HCV positive rate was compared with the
severity of liver injury.
Results :
1) The prevalence of anti-HCV in chronic alcoholics in Korea was 14.5%.
2) According to the severity of liver injury judged from clinical findings and histological
features, alcoholics were divided into three groups : nomal or fibrosteatosis (13 patients),
chronic hepatitis (13 patients), alcoholic hepatitis or alcoholic cirrhosis (36 patients). The
prevalence of anti-HCV is 0% in normal or fibrosteatosis, 7.7% in chronic hepatitis, and
22.2% in alcoholic hepatitis or alcoholic cirrhosis.
3) The patient positive for anti-HCV with chronic hepatitis showed higher serum bilirubin
and longer prothrombin time than did patients negative for anti-HCV. Moreover the patients
with anti-HCV with alcoholic hepatitis or alcoholic cirrhosis showed higher prevalence of
jaundice and higher serum globulin level than patients negative for anti-HCV.
Conclusion : The increased prevalence of anti-HCV in alcoholics with severe liver injury
and the impaired liver function in patients with anti-HCV suggests that HCV may be
involved in liver damage of some chronic alcoholics.
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