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Hepatitis B Cirrhosis Starts 10 Years Earlier than Hepatitis C Cirrhosis

Patients with hepatitis B infection (HBV) present with cirrhosis about 10 years earlier than patients with hepatitis C (HCV) infection.

This was one of the conclusions of Dr. Giovanna Fattovich and colleagues, and the European Concerted Action on Viral Hepatitis (EUROHEP). Dr. Fattovich is based at Servizio Autonomo Clinicizzato di Gastroenterologia, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.

The investigators performed a retrospective cohort study of 297 untreated Western European patients with compensated viral cirrhosis who were followed for a median period of 6.6 years. The aim of the study was to compare the prognosis of patients who were hepatitis B surface antigen positive and those with antibody to HCV.

It was found that the median age at diagnosis was 48 years in the hepatitis B surface antigen-positive cirrhotic patients and 58 years in the HCV-positive cirrhotic patients. Thus, patients with HBV infection may present with cirrhosis about 10 years earlier than those with HCV infection.

Dr Fattovich noted, "HCV infection tends to be associated with a higher risk of decompensation, but these data should take into consideration the heterogeneity of HBV-related cirrhosis in terms of viraemia levels and risk of hepatic failure."

Dr Fattovich added that there were no significant differences in survival according to HBV or HCV aetiology in Western European cirrhotic patients.
The American Journal of Gastroenterology 2002;97(11):2886-2895. "Effect of hepatitis B and C virus infections on the natural history of compensated cirrhosis: a cohort study of 297 patients"

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