Abstract

MERLIN LINARES, Julio César et al. Anti-C1q antibodies in hepatitis C virus infection. Rev Cubana Hematol Inmunol Hemoter [online]. 2015, vol.31, n.3, pp. 0-0. ISSN 1561-2996.

Hepatitis C often develops into a chronic disease with several extrahepatic manifestations, autoimmunity, and the possible formation of autoantibodies with different specificities. C1q deficiency affects the elimination of infected cells by apoptosis, the maintenance of immunological tolerance and it also favors the development of systemic lupus erythematosus in particular and of autoimmune phenomena in general, all of which could be exacerbated by the presence of anti-C1q. In this study, the prevalence of anti-C1q antibodies in 39 patients (23 females and 16 males) and 109 controls was determined by an ELISA type immunoassay (Anti-C1q ORGENTEC Diagnostika GmbH). A significantly higher frequency (p < 0.05) of these autoantibodies was observed in the patients group than in the control group. When separating the patients according to sex, the proportion of positive cases were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in females; and when the patients were divided into a group of 14 hematological and 25 nonhematological the proportion of cases with anti -C1q in the hematological group was lower. We concluded that it would be important to perform a longitudinal evaluation of our patients that will allow us to detect the early appearance of autoantibodies, to deepen our knowledge of their possible connection to autoimmune conditions, to the appearance of other autoantibodies, as well the possible influence of treatment.

Keywords : anti C1q; hepatitis C; autoantibodies; autoimmunity.

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