RESUMO
Objective: To determine the frequency of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease [NAFLD] in newly diagnosed cases of hepatitis C virus [HCV] infection and its association with genotypes in normal weight patients
Study Design: Descriptive cross-sectional study
Place and Duration of Study: Departments of internal medicine and diagnostic imaging, Combined Military Hospital Okara, from Oct 2013 to Mar 2014
Material and Methods: We included 211 patients from Okara through consecutive sampling who were found positive for anti HCV antibodies and HCV RNA after informed consent. The sampled patients were evaluated for liver echotexture through ultrasonography and genotype analysis by polymerase chain reaction. Variables were defined qualitatively and quantitatively and frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations were calculated. For the association of ultrasonographic findings with the genotypes, Pearson's Chi-square or Fischer's exact tests were applied where appropriate. All the data were analyzed using statistical package for social sciences version 20. A p-value <0.05 was considered significant
Results: The mean age was 32 +/- 6 years with a range of 21 +/- 47 years. Most [85.3 percent, n=180] were married. The majority [62.1 percent, n=131] hailed from the Punjab province and from the age-group of
Conclusion: Fifty-three percent patients with positive HCV RNA had NAFLD identified on ultrasonographic examination. The genotype 3 of HCV RNA was particularly affiliated with NAFLD
RESUMO
Objective: To determine the frequency, risk factors, and genotypes for hepatitis C virus [HCV] in healthy male individuals from Okara garrison
Study Design: Descriptive cross-sectional study
Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted in Departments of internal medicine and pathology, Combined Military Hospital Okara and Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Rawalpindi, from Oct 2013 to Mar 2014
Material and Methods: A total of 6500 healthy individual from Okara garrison and the surrounding areas, coming to Combined Military Hospital, Okara, without pervious history of HCV infection were sampled through non-probability consecutive sampling. Blood samples were subjected to rapid screening of HCV infection using Intec immune chromatographic kits. All positive cases were confirmed by 4th generation Monolisa HCV Ag-Ab ULTRA enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay [ELISA] and polymerase chain reaction [PCR] for HCV RNA using smart cycler automated real-time PCR system. The genotyping of HCV RNA was done with COBAS AMPLICOR HCV MONITOR Test, version 2.0. All positive cases were asked to fill a questionnaire in Urdu regarding different risk factors for HCV infection. The data were analysed using SPSS version 20
Results: A total of 6235 individuals were tested for anti HCV antibodies. Out of 6235, 270 [4.3 percent] participants were positive on immunochromatography and ELISA. among 270 participants [mean age: 31 +/- 7 years], 162 [60 percent] were positive for HCV by PCR, whereas, 108 [40 percent] were negative. Genotyping for only 211 personnel could be made available. The genotype 3 was the commonest [68.7 percent, n=145] genotype. The most common risk factor was dental treatment in the past [26.3 percent] followed by previous surgery [23.7 percent]
Conclusion: A frequency of 4.3 percent for HCV seropositivity was observed in our cohort of male individuals from Okara garrison and the surrounding areas. Genotype 3 was the commonest [68.7 percent] genotype observed for HCV. Previous dental procedures and surgeries were the commonest risk factors found in HCV infected personnel
RESUMO
Objective: To evaluate hematological parameters in African population to estimate normal reference intervals for these tests
Study Design: Cross sectional observational study
Place and Duration of Study: Department of Pathology, United Nations level 3 hospital, Nyala, Darfur from 1st Mar to 30th Dec 2014
Material and Methods: There were 396 healthy African male and female volunteers selected between 18-65 years of age, belonging to different countries. Fresh whole blood was used to measure haemoglobin [Hb] concentration, haematocrit [Hct], total red blood cell [TRBC] count, mean corpuscular volume [MCV], mean corpuscular haemoglobin [MCH], mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration [MCHC], platelet count, total leucocyte count [TLC] and differential white blood cells count. Data were analysed using SPSS version 19
Results: Mean Hb of study group was 13.81 +/- 1.99 g/dl. Mean TLC was 5.50 +/- 1.96 x 103/ul. Mean lymphocyte count was 2.58 +/- 0.95. Mean platelet count was 234 +/- 92 x103 /ul. Mean values for Hb Concentration, TRBC, Hct Ratio, MCV, MCH and MCHC were all higher for African Males than Females; this difference was statistically significant [p<0.05]
Conclusion: This multi-national African population based study confirms the variations in haematological parameters previously described in single nation African studies. The commonly observed variations in normal adults are low RBC indices, relative neutropenia and lymphocytosis