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Byline: E. Sagnelli (1,2), G. Pasquale (3), N. Coppola (1), F. Scarano (3), C. Marrocco (3), C. Scolastico (3), T. Santantonio (4), A. Gentile (5), F. Piccinino (3) Abstract: Abstract. Background: Few data are available on histological features of chronic hepatitis B (HBV) and C (HCV) virus coinfection. Patients and Methods: We enrolled 142 consecutive patients with viral chronic hepatitis on their first liver biopsy: 27 HBsAg and anti-HCV positive (case BC group), 57 HBsAg positive and anti-HCV negative (control B group) and 58 anti-HCV positive, HBsAg/anti-HBs/anti-HBc negative (control C group). Results: Patients in the case BC group showed serum HBVDNA (37% vs 71.9%, p &lt 0.005) and ground-glass hepatocytes (37% vs 66.7%, p &lt 0.01) less frequently than those in the control B group. The case BC group showed a lower prevalence of patients with detectable HCV-RNA than the control C group (60% vs 92.3%, p &lt 0.001) and a significantly higher fibrosis score (2.1 +- 1.2 vs 1.5 +- 1.1, p &lt 0.05). Of the 27 patients in the case BC group, 10 lacked serum HCV-RNA and showed significantly higher histological activity index (HAI) and fibrosis scores than those found in the 17 HCV-RNA positive (8.5 +- 4.4 vs 5.4 +- 2.4 for HAI, p &lt 0.05 3.0 +- 1.3 vs 1.69 +- 1.0, p &lt 0.05 for fibrosis). Conclusion: Liver histology seems to be more severe in chronic coinfection with HBV and HCV than in single infection, particularly when HCV replication is impaired. Author Affiliation: (1) Division of Infectious Diseases, San Sebastian Hospital of Caserta, Italy (2) Dept. of Public Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Second University of Naples,Hospital Gesu and Maria, Via D. Cotugno 1, I-80135, Naples, Italy (3) Dept. of Public Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Second University of Naples, Italy (4) Dept. of Medicine, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Bari, Italy (5) Dept. of Human Pathology and Genetics, University of Bari, Italy Article History: Registration Date: 01/01/2004 Received Date: 08/05/2003 Accepted Date: 29/12/2003

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