ABSTRACT
The prevalence of hepatitis [C] virus antibodies [HCV antibodies] was determined on sera obtained from seventy five diabetic patients attending the out patient Diabetic Clinic at the Main Alexandria University Hospital [25 with insulin dependent diabetes mellitus-IDDM-and 50 with non insulin dependent diabetes mellitus- NIDDM-] Along with 18 age and sex matched healthy control subjects. Second generation enzyme immunoassay [ELISA-2] screening test and recombinant immunoblot assay [RIBA-2] as confirmatory test were utilized [Orthodiagnostics]. The 25 IDDM patients [12 females and 13 males] were on insulin therapy. Their age was 18-28 years, and the main duration of diabetes was 40 months. Nine age and sex matched healthy volunteers were studied as controls. The HCV prevalence was found to be non significantly different between both groups [8% VS 11.1% NS]. The included 50 NIDDM patients [28 females, 22 males] were on diet or oral hypoglycaemics, none had received insulin therapy. Their age range between 32-35 years and the mean duration of diabetes was 18 months. Nine age and sex matched controls were also studied. HCV antibodies were found to be equally frequent in both groups [11.1%]. The possible risk factors for acquisition of HCV viz age, sex, duration of disease, history of schistosomiasis, jaundice, blood transfusion, dental or surgical manipulations were studied using a multivariate analysis. Only schistosomiasis was found to be significantly associated with HCV infection among the NIDDM patients [O.R. = 6.8]. We can conclude that there is no significant association between IDDM or NIDDM and increased risk of seropositivity for HCV antibodies