[Syndrome of overlap: Chronic hepatitis C/autoimmune hepatitis: fact or fancy?].

Abstract

Non-organ specific autoantibodies are common in patients with chronic hepatitis C, making differential diagnosis difficult between viral, autoimmune forms and hepatitis C/autoimmune hepatitis overlap syndrome. The lack of additional criteria of autoimmunity in most patients leads to the definition of a "false" hepatitis C-autoimmune hepatitis overlap syndrome, while the "true" overlap syndrome occurs in a very few number of subjects. In patients with "false" overlap syndrome the first choice therapy is based on the administration of interferon plus ribavirin. On the contrary, first-line therapy with corticosteroids should be restricted to the "true" hepatitis overlap syndrome with the new therapeutic option of interferon/corticosteroid association.

• Authors: Salvatore Antonaci, Gianluigi Giannelli, Barbara Simone, Francesco Saverio Vella
• Journal: Recenti progressi in medicina (Recenti Prog Med) Vol. 96 Issue 1 Pg. 27-31 (Jan 2005) ISSN: 0034-1193 [Print] Italy
• Vernacular Title: Sindrome da overlap epatite cronica C/epatite autoimmune: realtà o fantasia?
• PMID: 15789635 (Publication Type: Editorial, English Abstract, Review)

Chemical References

• Adrenal Cortex Hormones
• Anti-Inflammatory Agents
• Antiviral Agents
• Ribavirin
• Interferons

Topics

• Adrenal Cortex Hormones (therapeutic use)
• Anti-Inflammatory Agents (therapeutic use)
• Antiviral Agents (therapeutic use)
• Diagnosis, Differential
• Hepatitis C, Chronic (complications, diagnosis, drug therapy)
• Hepatitis, Autoimmune (complications, diagnosis, drug therapy)
• Humans
• Interferons (therapeutic use)
• Ribavirin (therapeutic use)
• Syndrome