Distribution of hepatitis C virus genotypes in iranian patients with congenital bleeding disorders

Chronic hepatitis C virus [HCV] infection is the major cause of liver disease related morbidity and mortality in hemophilic patients who needs regular blood product administration. Although genotype of infecting HCV is one of the prime predictors of response to antiviral therapy however, its distribution in hemophilic patients is still unclear and just few studies with low sample sizes have investigated this issue. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to identify this distribution in 367 Iranian hemophilic patients. Blood samples were received from 367 hemophilic patients with chronic hepatitis C detected during a nationwide screening program who referred to our center for therapeutic measures. HCV RNA viral load was detected using Amplicor test [Version 2]. Genotyping was performed by genotype specific primers. HCV genotype distribution was 1a in 58%, 3a in 18.5%, 1b in 14.7%, 4 in 1.1%, 2 in 0.8% and mixed in 6.2% and finally 0.5% of isolates were non-typable. Serum liver enzymes were not associated with HCV viral load and genotypes. Patients with severe bleeding tendency had significantly lower serum liver enzymes than those with a mild bleeding tendency. Genotype 1a followed by 3a and 1b were the most frequently detected HCV genotypes in Iranian hemophilic patients and there was no association between splenomegaly and viral markers and liver enzymes in these patients

[Frequency of fatty liver and some of its risk factors in asymptomatic carriers of HBV attending the Tehran blood transfusion organization hepatitis clinic]

Liver steatosis causes progression in liver damage and accelerates liver fibrosis. There is lack of data in Iran regarding the prevalence and risk factors of fatty liver in carriers of HBV. The current study was performed to assess the prevalence and risk factors of fatty liver in carriers of HBV in Iran. This study was conducted between 1995 and 2006, as a cross sectional study, on 1120 asymptomatic HBV carriers, selected from the hepatitis clinic of the Tehran Blood Transfusion Organization. Age, sex, marital status and paraclinacal data including CBC, LFT, PT, lipid profile, FBS, and alcohol consumption were recorded using a checklist. Fatty liver, found in 106 subjects, showed a significant correlation with sex [p=0.001], job [p=0.01], cigarette smoking [p=0.009], and previous history of liver disease [p=0.007]; liver disease also had a significant correlation with Hg levels [p=0.001], AST [p=0.001], ALT [p=0.001], total bilirubin [p=0.004], direct bilirubin [p=0.032], and TG [p=0.002]. FBS and total cholesterol levels were not significantly correlated with fatty liver [p>0.05]. Fatty liver is seen in 10% of asymptomatic HBV carriers; considering the negative impact of fatty liver on liver damage, it is essential to screen HBV carriers for the presence of fatty liver. Male, smokers, and those with disturbances in lipid profile are at a higher risk