Clinical, biochemical, and histological features of patients with cryptogenic liver disease according to the presence of occult hepatitis viruses
| HBV-DNA and/or HCV-RNA positive (n=27) | HBV-DNA and HCV-RNA negative (n=74) | p Value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (y) | 50.67 (14.34) | 43.99 (12.84) | 0.03 |
| Sex (M/F) | 19/8 | 52/22 | >0.2 |
| Risk factors 3-1 | |||
| Transfusion | 1/24 (4.2%) | 4/67 (6%) | >0.2 |
| History of acute hepatitis | 2/24 (8.3%) | 13/57 (22.8%) | >0.2 |
| Anti-HBs and/or anti-HBc | 9/25 (36%) | 20/73 (27.4%) | >0.2 |
| Clinical symptoms | 0.007 | ||
| Decompensated cirrhosis | 7 (25.9%) | 4 (5.4%) | |
| Non-specific symptoms | 20 (74.1%) | 70 (94.6%) | |
| Dyslipaemia3-2 | 7 (25.9%) | 36 (48.7%) | 0.04 |
| Hyperglycaemia | 5 (7.4%) | 12 (16.2%) | >0.2 |
| Obesity | 9 (33.3%) | 14 (18.9%) | 0.2 |
| Gamma globulin (g/dl)3-3 | 1.38 (0.46) | 1.21 (0.3) | 0.08 |
| Liver function tests3-3 | |||
| AST/GOT (UI/l) | 38 (25.9) | 32 (36.4) | >0.2 |
| ALT/GPT (UI/l) | 52.5 (32.4) | 72.8 (64.7) | 0.007 |
| No patients with mean ALT>1.5 normal | 11 (40.7%) | 56 (75.7%) | 0.001 |
| Alkaline phosphatase (UI/l) | 185.2 (94.9) | 190.8 (112) | >0.2 |
| GGT (UI/l) | 81.1 (75.5) | 109.5 (101.8) | 0.08 |
| Autoantibodies (ANA, ASMA) (⩽1/80) | 5 (18.5%) | 13 (17.6%) | >0.2 |
| Liver biopsy | 0.01 | ||
| Non-specific changes | 5 (18.5%) | 28 (37.8%) | |
| NASH | 2 (7.4%) | 14 (18.9%) | |
| Chronic hepatitis | 12 (44.4%) | 27 (36.5%) | |
| Cirrhosis | 8 (29.6%) | 5 (6.8%) |
Values are mean (SD) or number (%).
↵3-1 Number of positive patients/number of patients studied.
↵3-2 Levels of cholesterol and/or tryglicerides above the normal limit in at least two determinations.
↵3-3 The individual numbers used to calculate the mean were the average for all determinations on each patient (mean 5, range 2–24). Normal values: gamma globulin <1.34 g/dl; AST/GOT <25 UI/l; ALT/GPT <29 UI/l; alkaline phosphatase <207 UI/l; GGT <38 UI/l.