Atherosclerosis as a Possible Extrahepatic Manifestation of Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Infection in Egyptian Patients, EBTISSAM Z. MOHAMED, MERY N. RIZK, ABIR Z. MOHAMED, MARIAM O.F. HANNA and AHMED R. ABDELLATIF
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Atherosclerosis as a Possible Extrahepatic Manifestation of Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Infection in Egyptian Patients, EBTISSAM Z. MOHAMED, MERY N. RIZK, ABIR Z. MOHAMED, MARIAM O.F. HANNA and AHMED R. ABDELLATIF
Abstract
There are 170 million people affected with chronic hepa-titis C virus (HCV) infection worldwide. Egypt has the highest HCV prevalence in the world (overall prevalence of HCV antibody is 12% among the general population and reaches 40% in persons 40 years of age and above in rural areas. Our study aimed to study the correlation between hepatitis C and carotid atherosclerosis in Egyptian patients via assessing the intima medial thickness and carotid plaques.
Patients and Methods: We evaluated one hundred patients, fifty (50) patients with seropositive HCV and fifty (50) HCV negative patients by full clinical history, physical examination, laboratory assessment including RT- PCR for All HCV positive patients and Color flow Doppler study of both common carotid arteries to assess The carotid intima medial thickness A thickness more than 1mm was considered significant while a thickness more than 1.3mm will be diagnosed as a plaque.
Results: In our study there was significant statistical difference between case and control as regarding the common carotid artery intima media thickness (0.93±0.4 vs. 0.67±0.10; p<0.001) and a positive association between chronic HCV infection and CIMT: Eleven patients of HCV seropositive have increased CIMT (1mm or more (22%) And two patients have carotid plaque CIMT more than 2mm (4%).
Conclusion: Our work provided a positive correlation between the chronic HCV infection and CIMT as an indicator of atherosclerosis which makes screening for asymptomatic atherosclerosis of great importance.