Endocrine Disorders To Liver Damage: The Effects of Hepatitis C on Your Body
Chronic hepatitis C is a long-lasting infection. If not treated timely then it can lead to serious health problems related to other organs, including liver damage, liver cirrhosis and liver cancer. Besides the liver involvement, hepatitis C also affects other organs which are considered extra-hepatic manifestations of hepatitis C. TheHealthSite.com spoke to Dr Shankar Lal Jat, Consultant Gastroenterologist, Manipal Hospitals, Jaipur to understand more about the effects of hepatitis C on the body and how it damages the organs.
Chronic hepatitis C infection should be analysed as a systemic disease in which extrahepatic consequences increase the weight of its pathological burden. Extrahepatic manifestations in any form may appear in up to 74% of patients with chronic HCV infection. Hepatitis C can also lead to essential mixed cryoglobulinemia which can present as weakness, joint pain and skin lesions (Palpable reddish-purplish skin lesions) over bilateral legs, increased dry mouth and dry eye (Secondary Sjogren syndrome). 50 67% of patients with hepatitis C present with fatigue and weakness. Joint pain is reported in 40 80% of patients with HCV infection.
Peripheral neuropathy presents as tingling or numbness of both upper and lower extremities. Several dermatological manifestations of hepatitis C are vasculitis, porphyria cutaneous tarda (PCT), a skin disorder characterized by photosensitivity, skin fragility and vesicle or bullae hemorrhagic. Lichen planus as a skin disease (Itchy violaceous lesion of skin or mucosa) also worsened with hepatitis C.
Hepatitis C can lead to endocrine disorders such as increased chances of type 2 Diabetes mellitus and increased chances of deficiency of thyroid hormones (auto-immune thyroiditis). Type 2 DM is independent of liver disease because of increased chances of insulin resistance with hepatitis C. Hepatitis C also increased the chances of auto-immune disorders such as auto-immune hemolytic anaemia (Red blood cell breakdown) and low platelet count. The eye involvement of hepatitis C as corneal ulcerations and uveitis which can lead to poor vision, sensitivity to light, swelling of the eye and redness of the eye. Renal involvement of hepatitis C is present in blood in urine, protein loss in urine, high blood pressure and kidney failure.
The Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes group (KDIGO) released clinical guidelines on Hepatitis C and Chronic Kidney Disease and advised screening for kidney disease in all people with chronic HCV infection and HCV testing for people who already have chronic kidney disease.
HCV infection is a proven independent risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disorders and higher cardiovascular mortality, increased heart attack rate and plaque or thickening of blood vessels. HCV infection can also lead to neuropsychiatry manifestations such as cognitive impairment, memory loss and depression. Fatigue, depression, and substance abuse are just a few examples of the many medical and psychiatric conditions in which cognitive impairment can manifest. Patients with HCV make up 28% of those with depression.
