Abstract
To elucidate the effect of alcohol intake in anti-HCV positive patient with histologically confirmed chronic hepatitis, 134 patients were studied clinically, laparoscopically and histologically. According to the intake of alcohol, patients were classified to four groups : I. non or social drinker, II. habitual drinker (mild), III. habitual drinker (moderate), and IV. heavy drinker. Effect of alcohol on liver blood chemistry included tendency to higher value in serum γ-GTP in groupII, III and IV and in patients who had drunk just before hospitalization compared with patients who had stopped drinking more than 6 months before hospitalization. Laparoscopical findings of the liver in chronic hepatitis C patients did not differ between patients with alcohol intake and patients without. But whitish marking and reddish marking tended to be found less in group IV. Histologically, the findings suggestive of alcoholic liver fibrosis (ALF) were more frequently found in patients with alcohol intake, especially in group IV. However, there was no laparoscopical finding compatible with ALF on histology in alcohol drinkers. We conclude that effect of alcohol in chronic hepatitis C patient was found in histological study, but laparoscopical differentiation between alcohol drinkers and no drinkers was difficult.
