anti-HCV Ab Research Articles

Prevalence of occult hepatitis C virus infection (OCI) among hemodialysis patients; a cross-sectional study from Lorestan Province, Western Iran.

Patients with chronic kidney disorders, such as hemodialysis, are at a higher risk of infection with hepatitis viruses than the other population due to high nosocomial transmission by the dialysis units. The incidence of occult HCV infection (OCI) among chronic hemodialysis (CHD) remains controversial and the real burden of HCV in this population may be affected by the rate of OCI. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of OCI among patients with CHD from Lorestan province, Western Iran. In this cross-sectional study, whole blood samples were collected from 122 patients with CHD. Subsequently, anti-HCV antibody and HCV-RNA were assessed in serum/peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) using Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay and Real-Time PCR technique, respectively. Out of the 122 patients, 61.15% were male and 38.8% were female. Regarding HCV results, out of the 122 studied patients, 4 cases (3.3%) were positive for anti-HCV IgM Ab and 3 patients (2.47%) for anti-HCV IgG Ab in their serum. Moreover, none of the 122 patients were positive for HCV-RNA in serum samples, while in PBMC samples, two patients (1.6%) tested positive for HCV-RNA, of which one patient was anti-HCV IgG Ab positive. Furthermore, the prevalence of OCI was correlated with the history of blood transfusion and serum level of transaminases (P = 0.012). The results of the current study suggest that there is a potential risk of occult HCV infection among patients undergoing hemodialysis. Therefore, it is necessary to use appropriate molecular techniques for early diagnosis and treatment of these patients.

Co-relation of hepatitis C RNA load with antiviral therapy and risk factors among hepatitis C seropositive patients

Hepatitis C virus is a bloodborne virus and the major cause of chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Viral load is the prognostic marker of the disease progression. The aim of this study is to determine the correlation of hepatitis C RNA load with antiviral therapy and its risk factors among the HCV seropositive patients. This study will be helpful in early assessment of the disease progression and its complications.The blood samples were collected over a period of one year from April 2022-March 2023. The serum was subjected to ELISA for Anti HCV Ab. Viral load quantification was done by MylabPathoDetect HCV Quantitative PCR Kit in HCV seropositive patients.About 18,882 patients were tested for HCV infection over a period of one year. 75 patients were positive for HCV infection. Prevalence of HCV was 0.39. The mean viral load was reduced from 3.08×10 IU/ml to 1.98×10 IU/ml and Sustained Viral Response (SVR12) was achieved in 63(84%) patients after effective treatment with direct acting antiviral agents. High risk sexual behavior was the most common risk factor observed in seropositive patients.The current study determines the reduction in mean viral load and achieving sustained viral response after the effective antiviral therapy at the earliest, which is helpful in prevention of disease progression and its complications.

First study of the detection of Human Herpes Virus-8 and major blood-borne viruses in iranian patients with SLE: A cross-sectional study

BackgroundSystemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease caused by genetic and environmental factors such as viral infections. Genomic and serologic tests were applied to detect significant blood-borne viruses in SLE patients to determine whether there was a possible association between viral infections and SLE. MethodsAntibodies (Abs) against HHV-8, HCMV, EBV, HIV, HBV, and HCV in SLE patients suffering from SLE were assessed by ELISA. In addition, HHV-8 DNA and HIV-1 RNA were quantified by real-time PCR, and the HCV and HBV genomes were detected using nested PCR. ResultsCompared to those in the control group, a high prevalence of anti-HHV-8 (p < 0.0001), anti-HCMV (p = 0.014), and anti-EBV (p = 0.017) Abs was detected in SLE patients. HHV-8, HIV, HCV, and HBV genomic tests were negative in both groups, while only 1.1 %, 2.2 %, and 1.1 % of SLE patients were positive for anti-HIV, anti-HCV Abs, and HBsAg, respectively. The most frequent major complaint in patients was arthralgia (76.7 %). ConclusionsThe increased prevalence of anti-HHV-8 Abs may not be related to the natural history of infection but to molecular mimicry. Increased anti-HCMV and anti-EBV Abs may also be associated with the development of SLE and may play direct or indirect roles in such infections or molecular mimicry. Since arthralgia is the most common symptom in SLE patients, the presence of these symptoms in any patient is a suggestive clue for the diagnosis of SLE. Defining the typical pattern of SLE in divergent nations with distinct environmental and geographical factors can be beneficial for obtaining a prompt diagnosis.

Knowledge, attitudes, practices and prevalence of hepatitis B and C and hepatitis B vaccination coverage among public sector healthcare workers in Cambodia.

Healthcare workers (HCWs) are a key population at high risk for hepatitis B (HBV) and hepatitis C (HCV) infections. We aim to study HBV vaccination coverage, seroprevalence, knowledge, attitudes, and practices towards HBV and HCV infections among HCWs in public sector in Cambodia. A nationally representative cross-sectional study was implemented in 2019, among Cambodian HCWs. A standardized questionnaire was administered to randomly selected HCWs whose blood was then sampled. We used univariate and multivariate regression to determine predictors of outcomes. Among 755 participants, we found 4.9% positive HBsAg and 2.3% positive anti-HCV Ab. HBV vaccination coverage was 59.3%. Lack of knowledge was found on the route of transmission, HBV vaccination, diagnosis and treatment of HBV and HCV. 67% of HCWs thought that all patients should be screened for HBV and HCV and about 30% of them would refuse to take care of infected patients. 58% of HCWs always recapped the needle after use. In univariate analysis, older age-group (> 50 years) is more likely to have positive anti-HCV (OR: 9.48; 95% CI: 2.36-38.18). HCWs who were younger, female or having higher education or having ever been tested, were more likely to have gotten HBV vaccinated. Multivariate analysis reconfirmed these predictors of getting vaccinated. Study findings indicated an urgent need of a national policy for Cambodian HCWs given the high prevalence of hepatitis among this group. Policy should include an effective in-service training program to improve knowledge and practices, a testing and vaccination program for HCWs and it should emphasize stigma intervention towards people living with HBV/HCV.

P264 The utility of ANCA in Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn’s Disease: A Retrospective Cohort Study in Taiwan

Abstract Background Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) includes two chronic idiopathic inflammatory diseases: ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn disease (CD). The diagnosis of IBD depends on clinical, endoscopic, histological, radiological and biochemical criteria, which may be invasive, time consuming and usually not accepted by patients with IBD. Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCAs) is believed to be related to IBD. The aim of this study was to investigate these serological markers and the evidence for their use in the diagnosis and management of IBD in Taiwan. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study in adult IBD patients who had received the serum examinations using the medical records of China Medical University Hospital between 1 January 1980 and 31 October. 2023. Results A total of 301 IBD patients (194 with UC, 107 with CD) were included in this current study. A high proportion were male (IBD 70.41%; UC 65.63%, and CD 76.71%). The mean diagnostic age of these enrolled patients was 42.9 years. In our patients, the prevalence of positive anti-HCV Ab is 0.0% in UC patients and 0.96% in CD patients. However, the prevalence of positive HBsAg was 14.5% in UC patients and 9.4% in CD patients. The prevalence of pANCA was 21.2% in UC patients and 1.4% in CD patients, respectively. The prevalence of cANCA was 3.1% in UC patients and 0.0% in CD patients. This pattern of low sensitivity and high specificity for pANCA is also seen in UC patients in various cohort studies. The serum positivity of p-ANCA was significantly higher in UC patients (Figure 1). UC patients with positive p-ANCA were older than CD patients with positive p-ANCA (44.9 vs. 37.3 years). Furthermore, we found that the incidence of positive p-ANCA in UC patients with E1, E2, and E3 at diagnosis was 3.5%, 39.2%, and 57.1%, respectively (Table 1). The serum levels of ANCA-IgG were indeed higher in patients in the severe group than those in the moderate and mild groups. Conclusion Serological biomarkers have been demonstrated to be a series of rapid, non-invasive approaches for assessments of early diagnosis, disease activity and prognosis for IBD. ANCA may be helpful in the early diagnosis of UC and in differentiating it from CD. UC patients with positive ANCA have a higher rate of intestinal mucosal vasculitis than UC patients with negative ANCA. Furthermore, ANCA may also contributes to the pathogenesis of HBV-related systemic vasculitis. Therefore, the management of HBV-related vasculitis includes control the immune complex formation and reaction as well as antiviral agents to reduce the antigenic load resulting in reduction of inflammation. Moreover, effective biomarkers with high sensitivity and specificity need to be investigated in the future.

An epidemiological study on hepatitis C and hepatitis B infections among hemodialysis patients in the Sistan region

Objective. Hepatitis is a systemic viral infection that mainly affects the liver. Transmission of hepatitis C virus through dialysis units is increasing worldwide, ranging from 5% in Western countries to 70% in some developing countries. The aim of this study was to evaluate the epidemiology of hepatitis C (HCV) and hepatitis B (HBV) infections among hemodialysis (HD) patients in the Sistan region. Patients and methods. In a descriptive cross-sectional study, 130 hemodialysis patients in the hemodialysis ward of the Sistan region were studied by census method. Sample information including name, sex, mortality rate, surgery, renal transplantation, underlying disease, and duration of dialysis was collected through a questionnaire. Blood samples were taken for hepatitis B antigen (HBsAg) and hepatitis C virus antibodies (Anti HCVAb) and analyzed by third-generation ELISA. Repeated positive ELISA test results of HCV, were evaluated by PCR test method. Results. Among 125 dialysis patients ranging from the age of 15 to 84 years, 15 patients (11/1%) were HBSAg positive, and 6 patients (4.4%) were HCVAb positive. All patients underwent dialysis for a minimum of two and a maximum of three sessions per week. In the year 2021, the mortality rate among dialysis patients was five. Сonclusion. The results of this study indicate the low prevalence and mortality rate of HBSAg and HCVAb among HD patients. However, the duration of dialysis can be a potential risk factor for the transmission of infectious viruses in dialysis centers. Key words: epidemiology, hemodialysis, HBV infection, HCV

TO STUDY THE HEMATOLOGICAL PROFILE IN PATIENTS WITH ALCOHOLIC LIVER CIRRHOSIS IN A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL IN MANIPUR

Introduction: Alcoholic liver disease or alcohol-related liver disease (ALD) is damage to the liver caused by excessive alcohol consumption, resulting in serious and life-threatening complications such as cirrhosis, gastrointestinal bleeding, hepatic failure, hepatic encephalopathy and malignancy. Liver cirrhosis is defined as diffuse hepatic fibrosis with replacement of normal liver architecture by nodules. There are also lesser known sequalae including suppression of hematopoiesis due to its toxic effects, hypersplenism and nutritional deficiencies of folic acid and other vitamins. Anemia, leukocytosis, leucopenia and thrombocytopenia occurs in ALD. Most of these hematological parameters are underdiagnosed and understudied. Hence, Manipur being a high ALD prevalence state necessitates this study to evaluate the hematological profile in patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis and to determine the association between various hematological parameters and different Model of End stage Liver Disease (MELD) scores. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Imphal, Manipur from January 2021 to October 2022.Alcoholic liver cirrhosis patients above 18 years attending Medicine OPD, Liver clinic and those admitted in Medicine ward were enrolled. Blood samples for complete Hemogram, liver function test, kidney function test, prothrombin time, INR, serology (HbsAg, Anti HCV Ab, HIV 1&amp;2) and ANA were collected. Ultrasound whole abdomen and Chest X ray were done whenever indicated. Different types of anemia, leucopenia, leukocytosis, thrombocytopenia in different groups of MELD scores were studied. Result: A total of 146 alcoholic liver cirrhosis patients were enrolled in our study. The mean ± SD age of the patients was 48.63±10.00 years with majority males (91.8%). Anemia detected in &gt;95% of the patients. Severe anemia was detected in 31.5%, moderate anemia in 49.3% and mild anemia in 15.1%. Most of them (47.9%) had leucocytosis and thrombocytopenia was seen in 78.1% patients. Prolonged PT was seen in 89.1% of the patients and elevated INR present in 69.9% of patients. Majority of patients had MELD score between 10-19 and 20-29 (34.2% each). Only 4.1% had MELD score &gt; 40. There is statistically significant association between MELD score of the patients with severity of anemia (p&lt;0.05) and leucocyte count while it is not significant with thrombocytopenia (p=0.139). Conclusion: The prevalence of anemia in the present study was found to be 94.9% with predominant normocytic normochromic anemia (71.2%). There is significant association between MELD score of the patients with severity of anemia and leukocytosis while association with thrombocytopenia was insignificant. This study can now determine the stage at which emergent intervention could help in the recovery and effectively reduce morbidity and mortality of alcoholic cirrhosis patients.

Prevalence and Association of Transfusion-Transmissible Infections with Age of Blood Donors: A Regional Transfusion Centre Study in Northern Pakistan.

To evaluate the prevalence and association of Transfusion-Transmissible Infections (TTIs) with age of blood donors in a regional transfusion centre located in Northern Pakistan. Descriptive study. Place and Duration of the Study: Armed Forces Institute of Transfusion, Rawalpindi, Pakistan, from January 2017 to December 2021. All blood donors who qualified institutional blood donation criteria were initially screened for HBsAg, Anti-HCV Ab, HIV antigen-antibody combination and syphilis by an automated chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay analyzer (Architect Plus i 2000 SR, Abbott Diagnostics, Abbott Park, IL). Initially, all seronegative donor blood samples were subjected to nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT). All TTI-positive donors were immediately informed and counselled to consult the medical physicians for further treatment. Descriptive statistics and significance of association were determined. The prevalence of TTIs among blood donors was calculated to be 3.33% among 308,767 donors. HCV (1.4%) was the most prevalent TTI followed by syphilis (0.9%), HBV (0.68%) and HIV (0.26%), respectively. TTIs were most prevalent in the 26 to 35-year-old group, accounting for 5,143 (50.0%) positive donors (p<0.05). The prevalence of TTIs among blood donors was found to be 3.33%. HCV was the most common TTI, followed by syphilis, HBV, and HIV. The 26 to 35 year-old group had a significantly high prevalence of TTIs. Transfusion-transmissible infections, Hepatitis B virus, Hepatitis C virus, Human immunodeficiency virus, Treponema pallidum, Syphilis, Automated chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay analyzer, Nucleic acid amplification test.

A single site study to investigate the current prevalence of anti-hepatitis C virus antibody among substance use disorder patients in Hiroshima-Insufficient testing and diagnosis.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection among drug users presents an important public health problem; however, little recognition and few approaches to address this issue in Japan. This study was conducted to investigate the current disease status by assessing anti-HCV antibody (Ab) seroprevalence among people who inject drugs (PWIDs) and people who use drugs (PWUDs) in Hiroshima, Japan. This study was a psychiatric single-site chart review in patients with drug abuse problems in the Hiroshima region. The primary outcome was anti-HCV Ab prevalence among PWIDs who underwent anti-HCV Ab testing. The secondary outcomes included the prevalence of anti-HCV Ab among PWUDs who underwent anti-HCV Ab testing and the proportion of patients who underwent anti-HCV Ab examination. A total of 222 PWUD patients were enrolled. Among these, 16 patients (7.2%) had records of injection drug use (PWIDs). Eleven (68.8%) of the 16 PWIDs received anti-HCV Ab tests, and 4 (36.4%, 4/11) were anti-HCV Ab-positive. Among 222 PWUDs, 126 (56.8%) patients received anti-HCV Ab tests, and 57 of these patients (45.2%, 57/126) were anti-HCV Ab-positive. The prevalence of anti-HCV Ab among PWIDs and PWUDs who visited the study site was higher than the general population, which was 2.2% among hospitalized patients between May 2018 and November 2019. Considering the World Health Organization's (WHO) elimination goal and recent advances in HCV treatment, patients with drug abuse experience should be encouraged to take HCV tests and consult hepatologists for further investigations and treatment if they are positive for anti-HCV Ab.

COMPARISON OF ANTIBODY DETECTION BY RAPID DIAGNOSTIC KIT AND ELISA TEST FOR DIAGNOSIS OF HEPATITIS C VIRUS INFECTION

Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major cause of healthcare problem along with burden of health management care cost of international concern. Hepatitis C is a serious threat with long term complication. The present study is undertaken to compare rapid card test based on Immunochromatography principle with ELISA test for detection of anti HCV antibodies. In the absence of vaccine, primary prevention of Hepatitis C should be targeted to reduce transmission of virus. High risk people should be provided with education, counselling and screening. A cross-sectional study was done at Dept. of Microbiology, M.G.M.M.C, Indore Method: for one year comprising of 500 samples after getting Institutional Scientic Research and Ethics Committee approval. Rapid card and ELISA tests were performed in the samples received for detection of Anti-HCV ab. Out of 500 blood samples test Result: ed on Rapid card 22 were positive while 478 were negative. Further testing on same 500 samples with ELISA test 22 were positive and 478 were negative. Discussion: Present study ndings suggest that for screening of anti HCV antibody ELISA and Rapid card tests both can be used as diagnostic tool depending upon facilities available in the laboratory. Rapid card Conclusion: tests were found to be equally diagnostic as compared to ELISA test and hence can be recommended in screening of HCV

Hepatitis C micro-elimination through the retrieval strategy of patients lost to follow-up

Background and aimWorld Health Organization sets up an ambitious and attainable goal to eliminate hepatitis C (HCV) by 2030. The previous diagnosed HCV patients lost to follow-up were considered as an important target group for HCV elimination. We conducted a call back program to retrieve the lost to follow-up HCV patients and link them to care in our hospital. By analyzing and comparing our result with that from other studies, we wish to improve our retrieval strategy and provide our experience to the general communities.MethodsA list of the patients with a medical record showing seropositive for antibody to HCV (anti-HCV Ab) from 2004 to 2017 was retrieved by the department of intelligent technology of our hospital. Three dedicated staff members reviewed the patients’ electronic medical records (EMRs) and recruited the patient lost follow-up to the call back program. The staff members contacted the qualified patients by telephone and inquired about their opinions for treating their chronic HCV infection. We also informed the patients about the retrieval strategy and why we contact them. As our National Health Insurance request, we gave all patient one informed consent for hepatitis C treatment. Informed consents have been obtained from all patients. Referrals to our gastroenterology unit (GU) were arranged for the patients who would like to continue their chronic HCV care in our hospital.ResultsThere were 31,275 anti-HCV positive patients. We included 11,934 patients (38.2%) into the call back system and contacted them by telephone. Based on the response to our call, we ascertained 1277 eligible cases (10.7%) for retrieval. The patients who were younger (< 55), lived in Taoyaun City or had tested positive for anti-HCV Ab at the department of internal medicine department had an increased rate of successful call back. There were 563 patients (44.1%) returning to our GU. Of them, 354 patients (62.9%) were positive for HCV viremia. 323 patients (91.2%) received the DAAs treatment. The SVR12 with Grazoprevir + elbasvir, Glecaprevir + pibrentasvir, Sofosbuvir + ledipasvir and Sofosbuvir + velpatasvir were 97.9%, 98.8%, 100% and 97.5%, respectively.ConclusionsCall back system can expand our reach to those unaware or ignoring chronic HCV infection patients and link them to treatment.

Prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection among men who have sex with men with human immunodeficiency virus-1 infection between 2010 and 2020 in Japan: A single-center retrospective cohort study

IntroductionThe high prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive men who have sex with men (MSM) is an important health issue. The purpose of this study is to investigate the actual prevalence of HCV infection among HIV-positive MSM in Japan. MethodsThis study is a single-center retrospective cohort study. We collected data of HIV-infected MSM who visited our hospital from January 2010 to December 2020, and evaluated HCV prevalence, course of HCV infection, and direct-acting antiviral (DAA) treatment efficacy in HIV-infected MSM. ResultsOverall, 1135 HIV-infected MSM had HCV antibody (Ab) tests during the observation period. The first anti-HCV Ab positive rate in HIV-infected MSM was 4% (45/1135), and the seroconversion rate of HCV antibody was 3.6% (39/1090). Treponema pallidum hemagglutination antigen positivity (odds ratio [OR], 5.28; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.9 to 10.5) and intravenous drug injection (OR, 19; 95% CI, 3.4 to 149) were identified as factors associated with HCV Ab positivity. Spontaneous elimination of HCV infection was observed in 17.9% (7/39) of patients. DAA treatment was performed in 43 cases, and the overall sustained virologic response 12 (SVR12) rate for DAA treatment was 93% (40/43). ConclusionA high HCV infection rate among HIV-infected MSM was observed in Japan. The DAA treatment response rate in patients with HIV/HCV co-infection was the high response rate.

The role of Aspartate Aminotransferase-to-Platelet ratio (APRI) in the Prediction of Liver Fibrosis in Chronic HCV Patients

Abstract Introduction/Objective Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is typically characterized by slowly progressive hepatic fibrosis, with progression from stage 0 (no fibrosis) to stage 4 (cirrhosis). Aspartate aminotransferase-to- platelet ratio (APRI) may be a simple and convenient noninvasive diagnostic test because it is based on the regular laboratory tests and demographic data. However, its overall test performance in various settings remains questionable. Methods/Case Report Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of APRI in the prediction of hepatic fibrosis. Subjects and Methods: Serum samples were collected from patients recruited from Internal Medicine Dept., Mansoura University Hospitals, Egypt. The study included 118 liver fibrosis patients associated with chronic HCV infection (60 males and 58 females) and 50 age-matched healthy volunteers (27 males and 23 females). The HCV infection was diagnosed based on biochemical, serologic, and histological criteria. All samples of fibrotic liver patients showed a positive result for anti-HCV Abs using ELISA as a confirmatory test. AST, ALT, albumin, and total bilirubin were measured using standard methodologies. Routine blood pictures, including platelets counting were determined. The AST-ALT ratio was calculated as [AST/ ALT]. The APRI was calculated as [AST/ (upper limits of normal)/ platelets count 109/L]×100. Results (if a Case Study enter NA) There was no statistically significant difference between sex distribution in liver fibrosis patients and healthy volunteers. The mean±SD was (46.1±10.44 and 33.3±11.13) respectively. The medians of the selected laboratory markers in the healthy group and liver fibrotic patients were (41,39), (272.5,167), (36,54), (35.5,51), (0.9,0.98), (0.71,2.5), and (0.34, 0.86) for Albumin, Platelet count, AST, ALT, AST/ALT ratio, Total Bilirubin, APRI respectively. There was a statistically significant difference between the two groups in all laboratory parameters (p&amp;lt;0.001) and for APRI (p&amp;lt;0.0001). Conclusion The evaluation of APRI is uncomplicated, inexpensive, and has a reasonable degree of diagnostic accuracy in determining whether or not patients with chronic HCV have liver fibrosis.

Proportion of People Who Are Positive for HBsAg and Anti-HCV Antibody Among Participants in a Community Screening Campaign in Malaysia

Background: The epidemiology of Hepatitis B (HBV) and C (HCV) remains poorly documented in Malaysia. Available statistics are based on data from mostly small studies in special populations. Objectives: In this study, we provide estimates of the proportion of people who are positive for HBs Antigen (HBsAg) and anti-HCV antibody (Ab) among participants in a community screening campaign. Methods: A total of 10,914 subjects participated in the hepatitis screening campaign organized by Hepatitis Free Pahang in 2018 and 2019. A low-cost point-of-care test, which has previously been validated, was used to screen for HBsAg and anti-HCV Ab. All screened positive subjects were recalled to undergo confirmatory serologic tests (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) and nucleic acid tests (Real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction. Results: We estimated that 1.17% of adults aged 20 or older who participated in the screening campaign were positive for HBsAg+, and only 0.71 percent were positive for anti-HCV Ab+. Young adults below 30 years of age had a very low proportion of HBsAg+ (0.09%). Women had a lower proportion of HBsAg+ and HCV- Ab+, Chinese had the highest proportion of HBsAg+, while Malay had the highest proportion of anti-HCV Ab+. Conclusions: Among adult participants of screening in Malaysia, chronic HBV is still common, especially among older and Chinese people. Adults with positive anti-HCV Abs are much less common.

Screening of Occult Hepatitis B and C Virus Infection in Working Children, Tehran, Iran

Background: Working children are susceptible to infection with various infectious microorganisms. Unfortunately, the difficulties of working children are growing at a remarkable speed worldwide. Objectives: The aim of this research was to determine the prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, as well as to evaluate the level of anemia, calcium, and phosphorus in working children. Methods: This cross-sectional research was performed on 370 Iranian and Afghan working children from February 2018 to May 2019. Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), hepatitis B surface antibody (HBsAb), hepatitis B core antibody (HBcAb), and anti-HCV Ab were evaluated using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Furthermore, HCV-RNA and genomic HBV-DNA in the plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) specimens of the participants were investigated. The restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) method was used to determine the genotype of HCV, and sequencing was performed to confirm. Results: The mean age of the participants was 10.1 ± 2.1 years (range, 6 - 15 years), and 229 (61.9%) were male. None of the studied children had any detectable HBV-DNA in the plasma and PBMC. The HCV genome was not detected in the plasma of the children, but HCV-RNA was assessed in the PBMC sample of 1 child (0.3%). Therefore, one of the children had occult HCV infection (OCI). The genotype of HCV in this child was subtype 1a. Furthermore, HBsAb was detected in Iranian (41.5%) and Afghan children (40.0%), and 2 (0.54%) of the working children were HBsAg positive. In 3 participants (0.8%), a positive HBcAb test result was noted. Conclusions: The prevalence of HCV and HBV infection in working children in Iran is extremely rare. However, there is a possibility of the presence of OCI in these children.

Prevalence of Transfusion-Transmitted Infections (HCV, HIV, Syphilis and Malaria) in Blood Donors: A Large-Scale Cross-Sectional Study.

Blood plays a major role in transmitting infectious diseases such as hepatitis C virus (HCV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), syphilis, malaria, and many others. Thus, this study sought to evaluate the distribution of HCV, HIV, syphilis, and malaria among blood donors in Yemen. This is a cross-sectional study, conducted on blood donors at the national center in Yemen. Blood donors’ specimens were serologically tested for the presence of anti-HCV and anti-HIV antibodies, as well as anti-Treponema pallidum, anti-Plasmodium falciparum, and anti-Plasmodium vivax. A total of 16,367 donors were included in this study. Based on the donor’s occupation, the study showed that the relative seroprevalence of anti-HCV Ab among the donors was statistically significant, and relatively high prevalence was found among military donors (2.8%). Positive HIV antibody tests were only reported in 33 male donors (0.2%), who were mostly manual workers. A remarkably high prevalence of anti-Treponema pallidum was observed among manual workers (3.1%). There was a statistically significant difference in the distribution of anti-malaria Ab based on residency and age groups. This study revealed that the prevalence of HCV, HIV, syphilis, and malaria among donors was 2.0%, 0.2%, 2.4%, and 0.7%, respectively. Further genotyping studies are necessary to provide a complete picture of the prevalence of transfusion-transmitted infections (TTIs).

Alerjik Konjonktivit Hepatit B, C ve Antinükleer Antikor Arasındaki İlişki: Vaka-Kontrol Araştırması

Objective: The etiopathogenesis of allergy and autoimmune diseases involves genetic and environmental factors which might be common to both immunopathologies and infection also plays a significant role in the induction of allergy and autoimmunity. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the prevalence of hepatitis B, C, and antinuclear antibody (ANA) in patients with allergic conjunctivitis (AC). Material and Methods: A total of 128 patients with AC were enrolled and divided into 3 groups according to etiology: mite, pollen, and pollen/mite. Patients who complained of rhinoconjunctivitis underwent a skin-prick test. Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), anti-hepatitis C virus antibody (anti-HCV Ab), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and ANA values of patients were evaluated. ANA screening was investigated with indirect immunofluorescence. p values <0.05 were accepted as statistically significant. Results: One hundred (78.1%) of the patients were women. Seventy-three (57%) patients were allergic to pollen, 33 (25.8%) to mites, and 22 (17.2%) to both pollen and mites. ANA test results were positive in 11 (8.6%) patients. HBsAg was detected in only (0.8%) 1 patient. Anti-HCV test was negative in all patients. The mean age of the patients was 37.45±10.46 years and mean ESR was 14.10±7.32 mm/h. Sex, ANA, and HBsAg distributions were statistically similar among the groups. No relationship was detected between AC and hepatitis B, C, or ANA positivity. Conclusion: AC was not significantly associated with hepatitis B, C, or ANA positivity. The prevalence of hepatitis B was lower among the AC patients than in the general population of Turkey, whereas the prevalence of hepatitis C was consistent at 0%. These results should be supported with larger numbers of patients with AC.

The hepatocellular carcinoma's risk factors among in-hospital patients at the university-teaching hospital Yalgado Ouédraogo in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso: A case-control study

IntroductionThe hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains one of the most frequent cancers in Africa. Our objective was to identify the risk factors of the primary liver cancer occurrence among hospitalized patients in the gastro-enterology unit of the university teaching hospital Yalgado Ouédraogo. MethodsWe implemented a case-control study and collected data from January 1, 2012 to the December 31, 2015. Controls were recruited among blood donors. Cases were selected among patients visiting the gastro-enterology unit of the Yalgado Ouédraogo Hospital. Cases were matched to the controls using age and sex variables. In our multivariate logistic regression model, the outcome variable was the occurrence of the liver cancer. The main independent variable was the chronic carriage of HbsAg. ResultsWe included 92 cases and 92 controls. The sex ratio was 3. Chronic carriage of HBsAg was diagnosed among 14.13% and 76% of controls and cases, respectively. The anti-HCV Ab test was positive in 15.22% of the cases and 4.35% of the controls. Being 50 years or older, HbsAg chronic carrier, farmer or working in the informal sector or living in a provincial capital were the main statistically significant risk factors to develop primary liver cancer. ConclusionIn Burkina-Faso, liver cancer patients reached out to hospital very late. Our best tools to reduce the incidence and the mortality due to the primary liver cancer include immunizing largely against the HBV infection taking into account the birth dose; and managing adequately the cases of HBV and HCV infections.

Comparing Hepatitis C Virus Screening in Clinics Versus the Emergency Department.

IntroductionNew evidence suggests that emergency department (ED)-based infectious diseases screening programs have utility. We aimed to compare clinic-based and ED-based hepatitis C virus (HCV) screening programs within a single health system, to identify key differences in HCV antibody (Ab) positivity and chronic HCV, as well as population demographics.MethodsIn the clinic-based program, adults in the birth cohort (born 1945–1965) were screened for HCV. In the ED-based program, non-targeted HCV screening of all adults was conducted. We included patients screened between June 2019–June 2020. Patients were screened for anti-HCV Ab, and positive results were followed by HCV viral load (VL) testing. Our primary outcomes were seroprevalence of HCV Ab and HCV VL.ResultsThere were 1,296 and 12,778 patients screened for HCV in the clinics and the ED, respectively. In the clinic setting, 13 patients (1%) screened positive for HCV Ab and nine (69%) completed VL testing, which was positive in one patient (11%). In the ED, 1,053 patients (8%) screened positive for HCV Ab and 847 (80%) underwent reflex VL testing, which was positive in 381 patients (45%). In an ED birth cohort sub-analysis, Hepatitis C virus Ab seroprevalence was 15% (675/4521).ConclusionIn this study of patients in a single healthcare system, ED-based HCV screening was higher yield than clinic-based screening.

Drug Resistance Profile and Clinical Features for Hepatitis C Patients Experiencing DAA Failure in Taiwan.

About 4% of the population in Taiwan are seropositive for anti-HCV Ab and 70% with HCV RNA. To address this high chronic hepatitis C disease load, Taiwan National Health Insurance started reimbursing genotype-specific DAAs in 2017 and pangenotype DAAs in mid-2018. With a 97% SVR12 rate, there were still 2–3% of patients that failed to clear HCV. To understand the causes of DAA failure in Taiwan, we conducted a multi-center, clinical, and virologic study. A total of 147 DAA-failure patients were recruited, and we searched HCV NS3/4A, NS5A and NS5B for known resistance-associated substitutions (RASs) by population sequencing, and conducted whole genome sequencing (WGS) for those without known RASs. A total of 107 patients received genotype-specific DAAs while 40 had pangenotype DAAs. Clinically, the important cause of failure is poor adherence. Virologically, common RASs in genotype-specific DAAs were NS5A-L31, NS5A-Y93, and NS5B-C316, while common RASs in pangenotype DAAs were NS5A-L31, NS5A-A/Q/R30, and NS5A-Y93. Additionally, new amino acid changes were found by WGS. Finally, we identified 12 cases with inconsistent baseline and post-treatment HCV genotypes, which is suggestive of re-infection rather than treatment failure. Our study described the drug resistance profile for DAA failure in Taiwan, showing differences from other countries.