BACKGROUND: Ferritin and prolactin have been associated with active autoimmune diseases as systemic lupus erythematosus and autoantibody production, but have been little studied in viral infections that present autoimmunity. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association of these two autoimmune mediators with the presence of cryoglobulinaemia and non-organ-specific autoantibodies (RF, SMA, β2GPI IgA antibody and ANA) in Brazilian individuals chronically infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV). METHODS: Ninety-nine patients were evaluated. Ferritin and prolactin levels were determined by chemiluminescent immunoassays. RESULTS: Hyperprolactinemia was found in 10 (six men and four women) out of 99 (10.1%) hepatitis C patients. Thirty-eight out of 99 (38.4%) HCV carriers had hyperferritinemia (median level 385ng/mL). Neither hyperprolactinemia nor hyperferritinemia was associated with cryoglobulinaemia or non-organ-specific autoantibodies (p>.05). There was an association between hyperprolactinemia and the infection with HCV genotype 3 (p<.01). Ferritin and ALT levels were correlated (p<.05). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that neither prolactin nor ferritin is involved with the extra-hepatic manifestation of autoimmunity observed in HCV carriers.
BACKGROUND: Ferritin and prolactin have been associated with active autoimmune diseases as systemic lupus erythematosus and autoantibody production, but have been little studied in viral infections that present autoimmunity. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association of these two autoimmune mediators with the presence of cryoglobulinaemia and non-organ-specific autoantibodies (RF, SMA, β2GPI IgA antibody and ANA) in Brazilian individuals chronically infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV). METHODS: Ninety-nine patients were evaluated. Ferritin and prolactin levels were determined by chemiluminescent immunoassays. RESULTS:Hyperprolactinemia was found in 10 (six men and four women) out of 99 (10.1%) hepatitis C patients. Thirty-eight out of 99 (38.4%) HCV carriers had hyperferritinemia (median level 385ng/mL). Neither hyperprolactinemia nor hyperferritinemia was associated with cryoglobulinaemia or non-organ-specific autoantibodies (p>.05). There was an association between hyperprolactinemia and the infection with HCV genotype 3 (p<.01). Ferritin and ALT levels were correlated (p<.05). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that neither prolactin nor ferritin is involved with the extra-hepatic manifestation of autoimmunity observed in HCV carriers.
Authors: Yadira Ledesma-Soto; Francisco Blanco-Favela; Ezequiel M Fuentes-Pananá; Emiliano Tesoro-Cruz; Rafael Hernández-González; Lourdes Arriaga-Pizano; María V Legorreta-Haquet; Eduardo Montoya-Diaz; Luis Chávez-Sánchez; María E Castro-Mussot; Adriana K Chávez-Rueda Journal: BMC Immunol Date: 2012-03-09 Impact factor: 3.615