Is chronic hepatitis C serious? Beware of these complications

Hepatitis C can be divided into acute and chronic. If it is chronic hepatitis C, it will cause great harm to us. It can easily cause cirrhosis and affect the function of the liver. Severe cases can lead to liver cancer. In short, hepatitis C should be treated symptomatically in time.

1. Kidney disease

HCV infection is associated with renal disease, and the most common complications of hepatitis C are membranoproliferative and membranous glomerulonephritis. Usually, there are no obvious clinical symptoms of kidney damage. Microscopic hematuria and proteinuria are the most common findings in patients with membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis. On average, 50% of patients will present with mild to moderate renal insufficiency; among patients with renal damage, 25% present with nephrotic syndrome as the first manifestation. Hypercoagulability, thyroid dysfunction, vitamin D deficiency, and hyperlipidemia may also be present.

2. Hepatitis C complications include skin complications

Chronic hepatitis C can lead to skin complications, such as cryoglobulinemia, porphyria cutanea tarda, leukocytoclastic vasculitis, livedo reticularis, urticaria, erythema multiforme, erythema nodosum, Behcet's disease, etc. The most common is cryoglobulinemia. Studies have shown that approximately 40% to 54% of chronic hepatitis C patients have cryoglobulinemia, while only 15% of patients with hepatitis B have cryoglobulinemia, and 32% of patients with liver disease due to other causes have cryoglobulinemia. Typical symptoms of cryoglobulinemia are fatigue, myalgia, arthralgia, rash (purpura, urticaria, allergic vasculitis), neuropathy, nephritis (glomerulonephritis), etc. Laboratory tests can show elevated rheumatoid factor and cryoglobulins (including hepatitis C antibodies/anti-HCV and HCV RNA) and decreased complement levels. Patients with this disease have an immunoglobulin that precipitates when cooled and dissolves when warmed, hence the name.

3. Liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma are the main complications of hepatitis C

Modern research shows that it takes about 20 years from HCV infection to the development of cirrhosis and about 30 years to the development of primary hepatocellular carcinoma. 20% to 30% of patients with chronic hepatitis C eventually develop cirrhosis, and a few develop primary hepatocellular carcinoma. Benvegnu reported that primary liver cancer is the most common complication leading to death in HCV-infected patients within 10 years of diagnosis of hepatitis C cirrhosis. The etiological correlation between HCV and liver cirrhosis has received increasing attention. Al-Quaiz's study confirmed that the risk factors for chronic hepatitis C to develop cirrhosis are age, male sex, drinking, and concurrent infection with other hepatitis viruses.

4. Skin complications

Chronic hepatitis C can lead to skin complications, such as cryoglobulinemia, urticaria, erythema multiforme, erythema nodosum, etc. The most common is cryoglobulinemia.

5. Endocrine diseases

Hepatitis C has a higher chance of causing diabetes; it is also prone to be accompanied by changes in thyroid function. Common thyroid dysfunctions include: hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, Hashimoto's disease, elevated anti-thyroid antibodies, autoimmune thyroiditis, etc.

For hepatitis C, the most effective treatment currently is long-acting interferon combined with ribavirin. Although ordinary interferon can also have a good response to early treatment, it is prone to relapse after stopping the drug at the end of the treatment course. Therefore, long-acting interferon treatment is strongly recommended for hepatitis C. The general course of treatment is one year, and most patients can tolerate its side effects. If the reaction is too severe, the medication can be temporarily stopped or the interval between medications can be extended, but this is a last resort and will definitely have varying degrees of impact on the treatment and should be avoided as much as possible.