Correlation between hepatitis C viral load and hepatitis C Core antigenaemia among Egyptians.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is widespread in Egypt. This study compared HCV RNA with HCVcAg for the detection and quantification of viraemia among a sample of Egyptians. Sera from 80 suspected HCVpositive individuals were tested simultaneously for HCV-RNA load using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and HCVcAg level using ELISA.

Genotyping of occult hepatitis B virus infection in Egyptian hemodialysis patients without hepatitis C virus infection.

Background: Occult hepatitis B viral infection is the presence of hepatitis B viral nucleic acids in the serum and/or liver in the absence of hepatitis B surface antigen.

Aim: The study aimed to determine the prevalence of occult hepatitis B virus infection among hepatitis C virus-negative hemodialysis patients and to identify their genotypes.

Methods: of 144 patients on maintenance hemodialysis, 50 hepatitis B surface antigen and hepatitis C virus nucleic acid-negative patients were selected according to strict inclusion criteria to avoid the effect of confounding variables.

Occult hepatitis C virus infection among Egyptian hemodialysis patients.

Occult hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection (OCI) was reported in an apparently disease-free state in the absence of liver disease, anti-HCV and HCV-RNA in the serum. The existing data examining the clinical significance of OCI and its potential as a source of HCV infection among hemodialysis patients are very limited. We examined the presence of OCI among patients on maintenance hemodialysis at Minia Governorate, Egypt; an HCV endemic country.

Polymorphisms at IL28B gene as predictors of viral relapse in genotype 4 Egyptian hepatitis C patients.

Chronic HCV is one of the commonest causes of chronic liver disease worldwide with about 15% of population infected in Egypt. Certain single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) lying near the IL28B gene were found to affect the spontaneous clearance as well as treatment outcome of HCV. To examine the association between different IL28B variants and the relapse of HCV infection after combined therapy with ribavirin and pegylated interferon (pegIFN).