Prevalence of hepatitis B and hepatitis C viral infections in Indian patients with chronic renal failure.

The present study reports prevalence of posttransplant hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in 256 patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) and with a history of either renal transplant or hemodialysis. Out of 256 patients 138 had renal transplant and 118 were on maintenance hemodialysis. Among the patients screened, 7% had HBV infection alone, 46% were infected with HCV alone, while 37.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV)--a review molecular biology of the virus, immunodiagnostics, genomic heterogeneity and the role of virus in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV), an RNA and a hepatotropic virus, is the leading cause of viral hepatitis worldwide. Infection with this virus causes a repertoire of liver diseases that include acute hepatitis, chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), in addition to a number of extra-hepatic manifestations such as lichen planus, oral cancer, etc. At present, patients infected with this virus are treated with interferon either alone or in combination with ribavirin, a guanosine-like nucleoside analog.

Prevalence, risk factors and genotype distribution of HCV and HBV infection in the tribal population: a community based study in south India.

Viral hepatitis caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) represents a major public health problem in India. These viruses share common modes of transmission, such as parenteral routes. We aimed to assess the exposure of a tribal population to these viruses in south India.

Predominance of antibodies to hepatitis C virus envelope proteins in various disease statuses of hepatitis C.

The antibody profile to various proteins of hepatitis C virus (HCV) was studied in 113 patients positive for HCV RNA in various disease statuses of hepatitis C (HC). A single peptide (E2/NS1, aa 413-436 of HCV polyprotein) chosen from a conserved region at the C-terminus of the hypervariable region (HVR) HVR1 of HCV was found to be sufficient for reliable diagnosis of the infection, even in the acute phase. Six hundred and one suspected HC cases and 200 voluntary blood donors were tested by this peptide.