title: Hepatitis C as a cause of chronic liver disease in northern Pakistan.
abstract: The antibodies to hepatitis C virus (HCV) were tested in 45 histologically confirmed cases of chronic liver disease. Twelve cases had chronic hepatitis, 24 cirrhosis and 9 hepatocellular carcinoma. Anti-HCV was detected in 6 patients. Two (16.67%) were suffering from chronic hepatitis, 3 (12.5%) had cirrhosis and one (11.11%) hepatocellular carcinoma. None of the anti-HCV positive cases had past history of blood transfusion. The patients of chronic liver disease in this study had a much higher prevalence of HBV infection which indicates that in northern Pakistan hepatitis C virus infection is not a common cause of chronic liver disease whereas HBV infection plays an aetiological role in a much larger number of these cases.
authors.affiliation: Pathology Department, Army Medical College, Rawalpindi.
authors.forename: I A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Malik
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ahmad
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Luqman
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Legters
authors.lastname: Khalil-Ullah
authors.lastname: Zaheeruddin
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bukhtiari
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nabi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mubarik
mesh_terms: D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications*; D006521:Hepatitis, Chronic / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology; D010154:Pakistan
chemical_list: D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies