PMID: 9445587Jan 31, 1998Paper

Autoimmune hemolytic anemia and posthepatitis-C liver cirrhosis

Anales de medicina interna : organo oficial de la Sociedad Española de Medicina Interna
J L Espinosa Berenguel, J A Muñoz Sánchez

Abstract

Here we are presenting the case of a 70-years-old woman who has hepatic cirrhosis anti-HCV and insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, without relevant epidemiologic ascendants or previous transfusions and HBV, HIV negatives. On admission to our hospital she showed signs of autoimmune hemolytic anaemia (AHA) which was confirmed by positive direct Coombs test and an improvement in blood test after corticoid treatment. Having discarded other possible causes such as drugs infectious diseases or essential mixed cryoglobulinemia (CME), we put forward the possible association between AHA and infection by HCV, where AHA was an extrahepatic immunological manifestation of HCV. This fact has never been brought to light in previous medical literature.

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