title: Association of hepatitis C virus infection and diabetes in central Tunisia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate hepatitis C virus (HCV) seroprevalence in Tunisian patients with diabetes mellitus and in a control group.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the HCV seroprevalence in 1269 patients with diabetes (452 male, 817 female) and 1315 non-diabetic patients, attending health centers in Sousse, Tunisia. HCV screening was performed in both groups using a fourth-generation enzyme immunoassay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the diabetic group, 17 (1.3%) were found to be HCV-infected compared with eight (0.6%) in the control group, although the difference was not significant (P = 0.057). Quantitative PCR was performed in 20 patients. Eleven patients were positive and showed HCV genotype 1b in all cases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Frequency of HCV antibodies was low in patients with diabetes and in the control group in central Tunisia, with no significant difference between the groups.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Unit of Research, University Hospital Farhat Hached, Sousse, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Naoufel
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kaabia
authors.forename: Elhem
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ben Jazia
authors.forename: Ines
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Slim
authors.forename: Imen
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Fodha
authors.forename: Wissem
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hachfi
authors.forename: Rafika
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gaha
authors.forename: Mabrouk
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Khalifa
authors.forename: Aoutef
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hadj Kilani
authors.forename: Halim
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Trabelsi
authors.forename: Ahmed
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Abdelaziz
authors.forename: Fethi
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bahri
authors.forename: Amel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Letaief
mesh_terms: D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D014416:Tunisia / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies