Hepatitis C Virus Infection and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

authors:

avatar Serpil Erol 1 , * , avatar Leyla saglam 2 , avatar Ahmet Ozbek 2 , avatar Ayten Kadanali 2

Ataturk University Medical School, Aziziye Hospital, Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, sererol@gmail.com, Turkey
Department of Chest Diseases, Ataturk University Medical School, Turkey

how to cite: Erol S, saglam L, Ozbek A, Kadanali A. Hepatitis C Virus Infection and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. Hepat Mon. 2009;9(1): 39-44. 

Abstract

Background and Aims: A growing pile of evidence supports the notion that pulmonary involvement is one of the extrahepatic manifestations of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of HCV infection in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and vice versa.

Methods: Two cross-sectional studies were performed: 1. A prevalence study of HCV infection among patients with COPD; 2. A prevalence study of COPD among patients with chronic HCV infection. COPD was diagnosed according to ATS/ERS guidelines. The prevalence of HCV infection in COPD group was compared with the result of a previous study which determined the prevalence of HCV infection in general population. Prevalence of COPD in patients with chronic HCV infection was also compared to those with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection.

Results: The study included 108 patients with COPD, 68 patients with chronic HCV infection, and 60 patients with chronic HBV infection. HCV infection was observed in 8.3% of patients with COPD, and 1.2% of the control subjects (P= 0.000). The prevalence of COPD among patients with chronic HCV and HBV infection was 17.6%, and 5%, respectively (P=0.03). Comparing COPD-positive and -negative chronic HCV patients for risk factors for COPD revealed that only the mean age was higher in COPD-positive patients (60.8±9.1 years vs. 46.5±11.5 years, P=0.000). In multivariate analysis, age was found to be the only independent predictor of COPD in HCV group.

Conclusions: Patients with COPD have increased prevalence of HCV infection, and patients with HCV infection, have increased prevalence of COPD. COPD may be an extrahepatic disease associated with HCV infection.

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