Based on the knowledge that patients with porphyria A common characteristic of patients with PCT is liver cutanea tarda (PCT) usually have chronic liver disease, dy~function.~ However, great variation has been obseveral authors studied a possible relationship to hepa-served in the degree of liver disease associated with totropic virus infections. However, the prevalence of pCTV5 In this respect, a possible relationship with hepahepatitis virus (*WDNA by polymerase reac-totropic viruses has been pointed out. Thus, a strong tion (PCR) in serum of these patients, as well as the association with markers of past hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection was first demonstrated in patients presence of hepatitis C virus (HCW-RNA in paired liver, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), and serum samples in these patients has not been reported. We have with PCT.' A high prevalence Of hepatitis virus studied 34 patients with sporadic PCT. Antibodies (HCV) markers in patients with PCT recently has also against HBV were detected in 91% of the patients, but been dem~nstrated.~ This anti-HCV prevalence is in only 41% of the patients against HBV (P < .01). Viral greater than that found for HBV marker^.