Unmasking Hepatitis C Infection: A Case Report of Interstitial Lung Disease as a Potential Extrahepatic Manifestation

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is the most common blood-borne infection in the United States and is a significant public health concern worldwide. There is a potential association between HCV infection and the development of interstitial lung disease (ILD) as an extrahepatic manifestation. This report deta...

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Main Authors: Zeina Morcos, Chloe Lahoud, Waleed Azam, Mark Tawfik, Yisroel Grabie, Sudeep Acharya, Thomas Kilkenny
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2025-07-01
Series:Journal of Advanced Lung Health
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Online Access:https://journals.lww.com/10.4103/jalh.jalh_23_24
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author Zeina Morcos
Chloe Lahoud
Waleed Azam
Mark Tawfik
Yisroel Grabie
Sudeep Acharya
Thomas Kilkenny
author_facet Zeina Morcos
Chloe Lahoud
Waleed Azam
Mark Tawfik
Yisroel Grabie
Sudeep Acharya
Thomas Kilkenny
author_sort Zeina Morcos
collection DOAJ
description Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is the most common blood-borne infection in the United States and is a significant public health concern worldwide. There is a potential association between HCV infection and the development of interstitial lung disease (ILD) as an extrahepatic manifestation. This report details the case of a 77-year-old female who presented with a chronic productive cough and chest discomfort, initially suspected to be indicative of atypical pneumonia. Despite an initial course of antibiotics, her symptoms persisted, leading to further investigations. Imaging revealed features consistent with ILD prompting additional testing. The patient was noted to have positive results for hepatitis C antibodies and antinuclear antibodies (ANAs), alongside evidence of minimal liver fibrosis. She received 12-week course of antivirals sofosbuvir-velpatasvir for the treatment of hepatitis C infection. Several studies published in the literature have reported a high incidence of HCV infection among patients with ILD. Although definitive clinical and pathological causality remains elusive, the case presented and the literature reviewed strongly suggest a possible role of HCV infection in the onset of ILD. Further research is needed to provide early diagnosis, develop targeted therapeutic strategies, and improve patient outcomes.
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institution Kabale University
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language English
publishDate 2025-07-01
publisher Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications
record_format Article
series Journal of Advanced Lung Health
spelling doaj-art-ca8ee5bdd37643a9b910f7e712fa2e5d2025-08-20T03:31:33ZengWolters Kluwer Medknow PublicationsJournal of Advanced Lung Health2772-71652772-71732025-07-015314114410.4103/jalh.jalh_23_24Unmasking Hepatitis C Infection: A Case Report of Interstitial Lung Disease as a Potential Extrahepatic ManifestationZeina MorcosChloe LahoudWaleed AzamMark TawfikYisroel GrabieSudeep AcharyaThomas KilkennyHepatitis C virus (HCV) is the most common blood-borne infection in the United States and is a significant public health concern worldwide. There is a potential association between HCV infection and the development of interstitial lung disease (ILD) as an extrahepatic manifestation. This report details the case of a 77-year-old female who presented with a chronic productive cough and chest discomfort, initially suspected to be indicative of atypical pneumonia. Despite an initial course of antibiotics, her symptoms persisted, leading to further investigations. Imaging revealed features consistent with ILD prompting additional testing. The patient was noted to have positive results for hepatitis C antibodies and antinuclear antibodies (ANAs), alongside evidence of minimal liver fibrosis. She received 12-week course of antivirals sofosbuvir-velpatasvir for the treatment of hepatitis C infection. Several studies published in the literature have reported a high incidence of HCV infection among patients with ILD. Although definitive clinical and pathological causality remains elusive, the case presented and the literature reviewed strongly suggest a possible role of HCV infection in the onset of ILD. Further research is needed to provide early diagnosis, develop targeted therapeutic strategies, and improve patient outcomes.https://journals.lww.com/10.4103/jalh.jalh_23_24extrahepatic manifestationshepatitis c virusidiopathic pulmonary fibrosisinterstitial lung disease
spellingShingle Zeina Morcos
Chloe Lahoud
Waleed Azam
Mark Tawfik
Yisroel Grabie
Sudeep Acharya
Thomas Kilkenny
Unmasking Hepatitis C Infection: A Case Report of Interstitial Lung Disease as a Potential Extrahepatic Manifestation
Journal of Advanced Lung Health
extrahepatic manifestations
hepatitis c virus
idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
interstitial lung disease
title Unmasking Hepatitis C Infection: A Case Report of Interstitial Lung Disease as a Potential Extrahepatic Manifestation
title_full Unmasking Hepatitis C Infection: A Case Report of Interstitial Lung Disease as a Potential Extrahepatic Manifestation
title_fullStr Unmasking Hepatitis C Infection: A Case Report of Interstitial Lung Disease as a Potential Extrahepatic Manifestation
title_full_unstemmed Unmasking Hepatitis C Infection: A Case Report of Interstitial Lung Disease as a Potential Extrahepatic Manifestation
title_short Unmasking Hepatitis C Infection: A Case Report of Interstitial Lung Disease as a Potential Extrahepatic Manifestation
title_sort unmasking hepatitis c infection a case report of interstitial lung disease as a potential extrahepatic manifestation
topic extrahepatic manifestations
hepatitis c virus
idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
interstitial lung disease
url https://journals.lww.com/10.4103/jalh.jalh_23_24
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