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©2007 Baishideng Publishing Group Co., Limited. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Aug 21, 2007; 13(31): 4268-4269
Published online Aug 21, 2007. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v13.i31.4268
Published online Aug 21, 2007. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v13.i31.4268
Resolution of chronic hepatitis C following parasitosis
Valerie Byrnes, Sanjiv Chopra, Divisions of Gastroenterology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, United States
Margaret J Koziel, Divisions of Infectious Diseases, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, United States
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Correspondence to: Margaret J Koziel, Divisions of Infectious Diseases, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, United States. vbyrnes@bidmc.harvard.edu
Telephone: +1-617-6321070
Received: March 15, 2007
Revised: March 23, 2007
Accepted: March 27, 2007
Published online: August 21, 2007
Revised: March 23, 2007
Accepted: March 27, 2007
Published online: August 21, 2007
Abstract
An inefficient cellular immune response likely leads to chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Resolution of chronic HCV infection in the absence of treatment is a rare occurrence. We report the case of a 39-year old white male with a 17-year history of chronic HCV infection, who eradicated HCV following a serious illness due to co-infection with Babesia (babesiosis), Borriela Borgdorferi (Lyme disease) and Ehrlichia (human granulocytic ehrlichiosis). We hypothesize that the cellular immune response mounted by this patient in response to his infection with all three agents but in particular Babesia was sufficient to eradicate HCV.
Keywords: Hepatitis C, Babesiosis, Spontaneous viral clearance