ABSTRACT
A study was planned to determine the seropositivity for viral hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV in healthy blood donor population of Northern areas of Pakistan. The blood donors attending the blood bank of Hayatabad Medical Complex, Peshawar were screened for seromarkers of viral hepatitis B, C and HIV by using enzyme linked immunoassay [ELISA] over a period of 05 years. The data of blood donor screening was obtained from Combined Military Hospital, Peshawar for comparison. The changing trends in the prevalence of these viruses were compared. Blood donors screened at H.M.C. Hospital showed seropositivity of 1.40% and 1.34% for hepatitis B and hepatitis C respectively from 1999 - 2003. Screening of blood donors at CMH, Peshawar during the same period, detected 1.75% HBsAg positive and 2.60% anti-HCV positive subjects. No HIV positive blood donor was detected in both the hospitals during this period. This study concluded a decreasing trend in the seroprevalence of viral hepatitis [B and C] in the blood donor population of Northern Pakistan
ABSTRACT
A descriptive, semi-interventional and analytical study was planned to evaluate the usefulness of serum alanine aminotransferase [ALT] testing as compared with Hepatitis C Virus [HCV] RNA testing by Polymerase Chain Reaction [PCR] in different clinical settings of HCV infection. The study was carried out from Dec 2003 to Feb 2004 at Virology department, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Rawalpindi. The patients referred to AFIP for blood test for Hepatitis C Virus RNA by PCR were included in the study. The demographic information like age and sex of the patient was noted down. Blood samples were collected and sera were separated. Two hundred and fifty microlitres [ul] of serum was transferred to plastic aliquots that were stored at -80°C in a retrievable fashion until utilized for HCV RNA. The remaining part of serum was stored at -20°C until tested for ALT level. The HCV RNA test was carried out with a commercial kit [Acugen, USA] using automated equipment [Robomaster] based on Real Time PCR. The serum ALT was evaluated with commercial kit of GPT [ALT] IFCC mod. liq UV Humazyme Test [Human-Germany]. Out of the 199 cases, 135 [67.8%] had detectable HCV and thus declared positive for PCR while the remaining 64 had no detectable virus in their sera and were called negative for HCV RNA PCR. ALT was raised in 133/135 [98.5%] PCR positive patients and 08/56[14.2%] PCR negative patients. It is concluded that raised ALT level has good sensitivity in predicting the positivity for HCV RNA in sera of HCV infected individuals and, therefore, can be used with a fair degree of confidence for assessment of degree of liver damage in HCV infected individuals without cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma