Prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype in general population of Peshawar District Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Pakistan

Paper Details

Research Paper 01/06/2019
Views (338) Download (16)
current_issue_feature_image
publication_file

Prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype in general population of Peshawar District Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Pakistan

Saira Naz, Syed Sikandar Habib, Zahida Nasreen, Nadia Khan, Huma Gull, Amjid Khan, Muhammad Zohaib Iqbal, Maryam Ali, Asma Mushtaq, Asad Shafiq
Int. J. Biosci.14( 6), 171-178, June 2019.
Certificate: IJB 2019 [Generate Certificate]

Abstract

Hepatitis C is a blood born infectious disease caused by a small (50 nm in size), enveloped, positive sense, single-stranded RNA virus known as hepatitis C virus (HCV). It belongs to genus hepacivirus in the family Flaviviridae. HCV has six major genotypes. HCV spreads through blood to blood contact and no vaccine against this virus has been developed until now. Most of the people unfortunately develop chronic infection and it leads HCC. In current study, the HCV prevalence and its genotype was determined in the general population of Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province. Blood samples were collected randomly from general public of various age groups for the prevalence of anti-HCV antibodies and HCV genotype infection employing immune chromatographic assays and multiplex-PCR techniques. Our study reports an overall prevalence of HCV as 19.48% with 1.9%, 3.33%, 7.4% and 6.36% in age groups ≤ 20, 21-40 and ≥ 41 respectively. The highest prevalence of HCV was observed in age group ranging from 21-40 (28.0%) followed by age group ≤ 20 (9.52%). The prevalence of active HCV infection in male population (23.80%) was higher compared with the females (14.2%). In the present study, we conclude that HCV genotype 3b is the most prevalence genotype circulating in this region. Regional difference do exists in HCV genotypes. Majority of the infected patients are young ages between 31-40 years old. These alarming results call for a nationwide screening for HCV infection in general population.

VIEWS 16

Idrees M, Riazuddin S. 2008. Frequency distribution of hepatitis C virus genotypes in different geographical regions of Pakistan and their possible routes of transmission. Biomed Central Infectious Disease 1, 8-69. http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1471-2334-8-69

Mengal MA, Abbas F,  Mengal MA,  Shafee M,  Babar S, Mengal MA, Atique A. 2012. Passive surveillance of anti-hepatitis C virus antibodies in human subjects of four medical units of Baluchistan. Pakistan International Journal of Agriculture and Biology 14, 585-589.

Narendra M, Dixit Jennifer E, Layden-Almer, Layden TJ, Perelson AS. 2004. Modelling how ribavirin improves interferon response rates hepatitis C virus infection. Nature 432, 922-924.

Hoofnagle JH. 2002. Course and outcome of hepatitis C. Hepatology 36 21–S29.

Sheikh MY, Qadari I, Friendman JE, Sanyal AJ.  2008. HCV infection: Pathways to metabolic syndrome. Hepatology 47, 2127-33.

Simmonds P. 2004. Genetic diversity and evolution of hepatitis C virus–15 years on. Journal of General Virology 85, 3173 – 3188.

Jafri W, Jafri N, Yakoob J, Islam M, Tirmizi SFA, Jafar T. 2006. Hepatitis B and C: prevalence and risk factors associated with seropositivity among children in Karachi, Pakistan. Biomed Central Infectious Disease 6, 101.

Khan AJ. 2000. Unsafe  injections and the  transmission  of  hepatitis B and  C  in  a  Periurban  community  in  Pakistan.  Bull World Health Organ 78, 956–963.

Farhana M, Hussain I, Haroon TS. 2009. Hepatitis C: The dermatologic profile. Journal of Pakistan Association of Dermatologists 18, 171–181.

Roman  F, Hawotte  K, Struck  D, Ternes  AM,  Servaiss  JY,  Arendt  V, Hoffman  P, Hemmer  R,  Steub  T,  Seguin-Devaux  C,  Schmit  JC. 2008. Hepatitis C virus genotype distribution and transmission risk factors in luxembourg from 1991 to 2006.

Mujeeb SA, Jamal Q, Khannam R. 1997. Prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen and HCV antibodies in hepatocellular carcinoma cases in Karachi Pakistan. Tropical Doctor 27, 45–6.

Sarwat A, Naeem M, Hussain A, Kakar N, Babar ME, Ahmad J. 2008. Prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotypes in Baluchistan. Molecular Biology Reports. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11033-008-9342-0.

Raza SA, Clifford GM, Franceschi B. 2007). Worldwide variation in the relative importance of hepatitis B and hepatitis C viruses in hepatocellular carcinoma: a systematic review. British Journal of Cancer 96, 1127 – 1134.

Zeuzem S, Feinman  SV,  Rasenack J, Heathcote EJ, Lai MY, Gane E, O’Grady J, Reichen J, Diago M, Lin A, Hoffman J, Brunda MJ. 2000. Peginterferon alfa-2a in patients with chronic hepatitis C. The New England Journal of Medicine 343, 1666-72.

Simmonds  P,  Alberti  A,  Alter HJ,  Bonino F,  Bradley DW,  Brechot  C, Brouwer JT, Chan SW, Chayama K, Chen DS. 1994. A proposed system for the nomenclature of hepatitis C viral genotypes. Hepatology 19, 1321-1324.

Davis GL, Lau JN. 1997.  Factors primitive of a beneficial response to therapy of hepatitis C virus. Hepatology 26, 122.s-127.s.

Reed KE, Rice CM. 2000. Overview of hepatitis C virus genome structure, polyprotein processing and protein properties. Microbiology and Immunology 242, 55–84.

Posta J, Ratnarajahc S, Lloyd AR. 2008. Immunological determinants of the outcomes from primary hepatitis C infection. Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences 66, 733-56.

Siddiqi  S,  Hamid  S,  Rafique  G,  Chaudhry  SA,  Ali  N,  Shahab  S, Sauerborn  R.  2002. Prescription practices of public and private health care providers in Attock District of Pakistan. International Journal of Health Planning and Management 17, 23-40.

Ali L, Idrees M, Ali M, Rehman I, Hussain A, Afzal S, Saleem S, Munir S, Badar, S. 2011. An overview of treatment response rates to various anti-viral drugs in Pakistani hepatitis B virus infected patients. Virology Journal 8, 20. http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1743-422X-8-20

Khan MS, Majeed A, Ullah S, Sajjad M. 2011. An alarming situation in southern part of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Annls. Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences 7, 228-232.

Ahmad J, Taj AS, Rahim A. 2004. Frequency of Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C in healthy blood donors of NWFP a single center experience. Journal of Postgraduate Medical Institute 18, 343-52.

Ahmad N, Asgher M, Shafique M, Qureshi JA. 2007. An evidence of high prevalence of Hepatitis C virus in Faisalabad, Pakistan. Saudi Medical Journal 28, 390-5.

Umar M, Bushra H, Ahmad M, Khurram M, Usman S, Arif M, Adam T, Minhas Z, Arif A, Naeem A, Ejaz K, Butt Z, Bilal M. 2010. Hepatitis C in Pakistan: A Review of Available Data. Hepatitis Monthly 10, 205–214.

Ahmad A, Ahmad B, Ali A, Ahmad Y. 2009. Seroprevalence of HBsAg and anti-HCV in general healthy population of Swat district with frequency of different HCV Genotypes. Pakistan Journal of Medical Science 25, 744-748.

Mukhtar M, Arshad M, Ahmad M. 2008. Antiviral potentials of medicinal plants. Virus Research 131, 111–120.

Azam M, Jamal N, Imtiaz F, Haque Z, Ayoob Z. 2007.  Blood donor screening for hepatitis and HIV. Journal of Dow University Health Science 1, 82-83.

Alam M, Ahmed D. 2001. Prevalence of antibodies to hepatitis C virus in blood donors in Sialkot. Journal of College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan 11, 783-89.

Alter MJ. 2007. Epidemiology of hepatitis C virus infection. World Journal of Gastroenterology 13, 2436-2441.

Khattak MF, Salamat N, Bhatti FA, Qureshi TZ, Khan. 2002. Seroprevalence of hepatitis B, C and HIV in blood donors in northern Pakistan.  Journal of Pakistan Medical Association 52, 398-402.

Ali N, Nadeem M, Qamar A, Qureshi AH, Ejaz A. 2003.  Frequency  of  hepatitis  C  virus antibodies  in  blood  donors  in  Combined Military Hospital Quetta. Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences 19, 41-44.

Asif N, Khokar N, Ilahi F. 2004. Seroprevalence of HBV, HCV and HIV infection among voluntary non-remunerated and replacement donors in Northern Pakistan.  Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences 20, 24-28.