RESUMO
Objective: Current study was designed to determine the STAT-1 in co-infected patients of hepatitis B and C resistant to interferon therapy
Study Design: Cross-sectional analytical study
Place and Duration of Study: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Gastroenterology departments of various hospitals of Rawalpindi
Material and Methods: The study included 15 co-infected patients of hepatitis B and C resistant to interferon therapy and 15 healthy individuals as control
Methodology: Detection of STAT-1 was done by conventional PCR technique
Results: Sixty seven percent of the patients were expressing STAT-1 in their blood while 33% of the patients did not have STAT-1. Controls showed 57% detection of STAT-1 and 43% did not exhibit STAT-1. Mean age of the patients and controls was 35.90 +/- 8.95.Comparison between patients and controls was done by chi square test. Fisher exact probability value obtained was 0.287 which was not significant
Conclusion: Patients suffering from hepatitis B and C co-infection resistant to interferon therapy revealed higher detection of STAT-1 which indicate greater liver damage, fibrosis and an extensive and severer disease course in co-infection