Prevalence of Markers of Hepatotrophic Viruses in Alcoholics with Symptomatic Liver Cirrhosis or Pancreatitis

Abstract

The reason why similar amounts of alcohol consumption cause different types of organ damage in alcholics is obscure. Recent studies indicate that hepatitis B virus [HBV] infection may influence the development of liver cirrhosis in alcoholics. The prevalence of markers of viruses known to cause hepatitis (HAV [hepatitis A virus], HBV, EBV [Epstein-Barr virus], CMV [cytomegalovirus]) were investigated in 2 groups of patients, 1 with alcholic pancreatitis without known liver cirrhosis and 1 with alcoholic liver cirrhosis without known pancreatitis. Signs of past infection with HAV and HBV were found more often in alcoholics with liver cirrhosis than in patients with alcoholic pancreatitis or in age-matched controls.