Histopathological aspects in autoimmune cutaneous manifestations associated with hepatitis C virus infection

Vol. 57 No. 3, 2016

ROMANIAN JOURNAL of MORPHOLOGY and EMBRYOLOGY

Laura Statescu, Dan Vata, Delia Ciobanu, Laura Gheuca Solovastru, Maria Rotaru

Autoimmunity is characterized by activation of the immune system that attacks and destroys wrongly, the body s own structures. All body tissues can be affected (erythrocytes, leukocytes, platelets, blood vessels, muscle tissue, endocrine system, and other), including the skin. Autoimmune diseases have an increased frequency in women, especially in adulthood, and they are associated with hereditary factors. Although the etiology of autoimmune diseases is incompletely elucidated, there is an association between chronic infection with hepatitis C and autoimmunity, association highlighted and well documented in clinical studies. Other viral infections do not have the same connotation in the context of autoimmunity, but it is recognized that they are an important triggering factor in the pathophysiological mechanism. The cases associating chronic hepatitis C treated with interferon and ribavirin, with multiple autoimmune diseases substrate, raising the discussion of a possible pathophysiological correlation between them.

Corresponding author: Dan Vata, Assistant Professor, MD, PhD; e-mail: dan.vata@umfiasi.ro

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