Other conditions associated with hepatitis C virus

HCV infection increases the risk of hepatic steatosis (fatty liver). HCV genotype 3 may pose a larger risk.¹

A small proportion of patients with HCV, particularly women, develop autoimmune disorders of varying severity. These include:

• Vasculitis: a painful blood circulation disorder.
• Autoimmune thyroid disease.
• Autoimmune hepatitis: this is a more serious form of liver disease than viral infection, but is less common in people with HCV than HBV.
• Glomerulonephritis: a serious form of kidney disease in which the blood filtering function becomes impaired.
• Polyarthritis: multiple joint pains and swelling.
• Cryoglobulinaemia: a condition in which abnormal proteins called cryoglobulins form in the blood.
• Porphyria cutanea tarda: a condition in which by-products of haemoglobin production build up in the body.
• Scleroderma: hardening of the skin.
• Sjogren's syndrome: a chronic condition characterized by dry eyes and dry mouth.

HCV infects the lymphatic system as well as the liver and the blood. Nearly all infected patients have HCV in their lymphatic vessels and organ. Hepatitis C has also been linked to low blood cell counts and to diabetes and other metabolic disorders.

HCV co-infection has been associated with an increased risk of kidney disease in HIV-positive individuals. In a large study of US veterans, co-infected patients were more likely to have kidney dysfunction than individuals who had HIV only (14% vs. 11%), and the risk of mortality increased with worsening kidney function.²

Hepatitis C infection was also associated with a somewhat higher risk of cardiovascular disease (adjusted hazard ratio 1.27) in a cohort study of 160,000 Americans, despite lower cholesterol levels and a lower frequency of risk factors for cardiovascular disease.³