[Porphyria cutanea tarda accompanying hepatitis C]

Abstract

Porphyria cutanea tarda (PCT) is due to reduced activity of the enzyme uroporphyrinogen decarboxylase in hepatocyte. Hepatic dysfunction is found in almost all cases of PCT. Recently, high prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in patients with PCT was reported in Europe. Is HCV infection a trigger of PCT? Several cases of PCT associated with hepatitis C were reported in Japan. The frequency of anti-HCV increased with the severity of liver histology. These findings implicate HCV in the etiology of PCT-associated liver disease. Treatment with interferon should be considered for PCT with HCV infection.