Comparative characteristics of porphirine metabolism in chronic viral diseases of the liver

Abstract

Aim. To study porphirin metabolism in chronic viral infections of the liver. Material and methods. The examination of 101 patients with hepatic viral infections diagnosed chronic HCV-infection in 30 patients, chronic HBV infection in 25 patients and combined infection in 6 patients. Patients with chronic alcohol intoxication were not included in the trial. Urinary uroporphirin and coproporphirin (CP), fecal protoporphirin and CP were estimated. Total porphirines were calculated. Results. 29 patients with chronic viral hepatitis had no porphirin disbolism. The latter (elevation of porphirine fractions in the urine and/or feces) was detected in 11 (84.6%) of 13 patients with hepatic cirrhosis (HC). Biochemical syndromes of elevated fecal porphirines, secondary coproporphirinuria, chronic latent hepatic porphiria were developing. The above disorders progressed with aggravation of the disease severity. In manifest late skin porphiria chronic HCV infection was detected in 19 (32.2%) of 59 patients. Conclusion. In non-alcoholic patients with chronic diffuse diseases of the liver of viral etiology non-specific disturbances of porphirine metabolism develop at the stage of arising HC and are registered more frequently in the presence of chronic HBV-infection. Frequent combination of chronic HCV-infection with manifest late skin porphiria suggests a trigger role of HCV initiating specific disbolism of porphirines in this disease.

Keywords

• chronic hepatitis
• hepatic cirrhosis
• late skin porphiria
• porphirin metabolism
• chronic hbv- and hcv infection