Vitamin E and A interrelations in beta-thalassemic children with hepatitis C virus infection

Both vitamin E and A were reported to have an immuno-modulatory effect on some viral infections. vitamin E supplementation showed this effect in the recovery from viral hepatitis B [HBV] and C [HCV] infections, while vitamin A delayed and decreased the degree of hepatic fibrosis and cirrhosis with chronic viral infections. Beta-thalassemic children are at risk for HCV infection from transfusion therapy and co-infection with Schistosoma mansoni [s. mansoni], which is common in Egypt, may augment hepatic injury in them. Accordingly, we conducted this work on 52 beta-thalassemic patients and 18 healthy controls to evaluate serum vitamin E and A [by HPLC method] interrelations with HCV and potential S mansoni co-infection. Vitamin E was markedly decreased in patients compared to controls. The only significant [p<0.01] variable in HCV-infected [by 3[rd] generation ELISA test] patients was elevated alanine aminotransferase. None of the variables was significantly associated with HCV-viremia [by RT-RCR test]. IgG and IgM against S. mansoni egg soluble antigens were done on 44 patients [by home-made ELISA test] and co-infection with HCV was present in 38.6% of them. This co-infection group had a decreased serum vitamin E [p<0.05] and a strong inverse correlation [p<0.01] with vitamin A, which were not present in other groups of patients. The findings of the present study support the suggestion of vitamin E supplementation to beta-thalassemic patients and future studies should focus on co-infected HCV/ S. mansoni group of patients for better understanding of molecular mechanism [s] of vitamin E effects on immune system cells

Prevalence of hepatitis C among adolescence in Sharkia governorate

Viral hepatitis C is a major worldwide problem. The present work aims at find out the prevalence of HCV infection among adolescences in Sharkia Governorate.The current work was carried out on four hundreds and fifty secondary and tertiary school adolescences including 237 males and 213 females with their ages ranged between 11-17 years. All studied adolescences were subjected to thorough medical history, clinical examination, blood sampling for liver function tests, HCV antibodies by 3[rd] generation ELISA and RT-PCR for detecting serum HCV-RNA for patients with anti-HCV +ve tests. It was found that nine out of 450 adolescences [2%] were HCV-antibody positive measured by 3[rd] generation ELISA, three of them [0.7%] had positive HCV-RNA when confirmed by RT-PCR. This study showed that there was a highly significant relation between blood transfusion, needle sticks and seropositivity for HCV antibodies. However, there was no significant relation between seropositivity for HCV antibodies and surgical operation. This study showed a statistical significant relation between seropositivity for anti-HCV antibodies and symptoms of viral infection as jaundice and dark urine, but not with right hypochondrial pain and other clinical signs as hepatomegaly, splenomegaly and lymphadenopathy. There was a significant change in the liver function tests [Total and direct bilirubin ALT, AST, ALP] in the seropositive adolescences but no correlation with total proteins and serum albumin. The family members of the nine positive adolescences were seronegative for HCV antibodies except two mothers who were positive by ELISA method. Also the liver function tests of the nine seropositive adolescences were normal except that of the ELISA and PCR positive mothers. The determination of the source of infection whether the mother infect their sons or vice versa cannot be assured as the mechanism of intrafamilial transmission remain enigmatic. HCV does not seem to play a major role in hepatitis among adolescences in Sharkia Govemorate. ELISA is a good negative screening test in low risk groups