Seroprevalence and risk factors for hepatitis C virus infection in pregnancy

This study aims to determine the prevalence of anti-HCV antibodies among pregnant women admitted to Antenatal Care Unit, Mansoura University Hospital, Egypt and to identify the risk factors for the disease among those women and their husbands. Screening of pregnant women for anti-HCV antibodies by ELISA second generation, HBsAg and anti-HIV antibodies Risk factors for HCV infection among those women and their husbands were recorded. This study indicates that the prevalence of anti-HCV antibodies among 767 pregnant women was 13.69%, HBsAg 2.35% and no cases of anti-HIV antibodies were encountered. The most important risk factors for HCV infection were surgical operations [60.95%], bilharziasis [27.62%] and blood transfusion [22.86%]. Husbands risk factors included travelling abroad [37.14%] and surgical operations [12.38%]. No risk factors were identified in 16.19% of women and 55.24% of their husbands. The prevalence of anti HCV antibodies [13,69%] is higher among pregnant women presenting to Mansoura university Hospital than those reported by other Studies. Schistosomiasis and husband travelling abroad were two important risk factors for HCV infection

Evaluation of zinc status as a liver function test in patients with schistosomal hepatic fibrosis

The association between schistosomiasis and Zinc [Zn] deficiency had been attributed to many causes including malabsorption, hepatic malfunction or reduction in its binding proteins [albumin and a[2] rnacroglobulins]. The present work aimed at the study of the relation between zinc status and the functional reserve capacity of the liver in patients with schistosomal hepatic fibrosis. For this purpose the study included 60 subjects; 15 healthy persons as a control group and 45 patients with schistosomal hepatic fibrosis divided into three equal groups [A, B and C] according to the severity of their liver affection using modified child's classification. It was found that zinc levels in plasma, polymorphonuclear leukocytes and erythrocytes are significantly low in all Schistosomal patients as compared to the control group and usually the more severe the dysfunction is, the more the Zn deficiency. This indicates Zn depletion in both extra and intracellular compartments can be mainly explained by the defective synthesis of plasma proteins by the liver, mainly albumin and a2 macroglobulins that act as carriers of Plasma Zn. However, the hyperzincuria found in these patients may share in the chronic Zn deficiency and it is mostly due to increased diffusible fraction of Zn as a result of hypoalbuminemia