Increased Soluble P-Selectin Levels in Hepatitis C Virus-Related Chronic Hepatitis: Correlation with Viral Load

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Abstract
Background: Platelet functional abnormalities are commonly found in patients with chronic liver disease; however, their nature and clinical significance are still a matter of discussion. Methods: Soluble P-selectin (sP-selectin, a marker of in vivo platelet activation) levels, lipid pattern, and clotting activity were investigated in 39 patients with histologically confirmed chronic C hepatitis. Results: Serum factor VIIc ( P3/μL). Platelet-associated immunoglobulin G (PAIgG) was present in 30.8% of patients. Plasma sP-selectin levels were higher in hepatitis C patients compared with controls ( P<0.0001), and significant differences were observed with respect to the Scheuer score ( P<0.01). The analysis of the distribution of plasma sP-selectin showed the presence of higher levels in patients with low platelet counts compared with patients with normal platelet counts and controls ( P<0.0001); moreover, sP-selectin levels did not correlate with the presence of PAIgG. On the other hand, sP-selectin levels directly correlated with serum hepatitis C virus (HCV)-RNA ( P<0.05) and inversely correlated with platelet count, blood lipids, and factor VIIc. Conclusions: The results obtained in this study support the hypothesis that HCV infection might be directly responsible for a condition of in vivo platelet activation in patients with chronic C hepatitis.