title: Hepatitis C virus infection in a population with high incidence of type 2 diabetes: impact on diabetes complications.
abstract: A growing number of reports suggest a connection between hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and type 2 diabetes (T2D). However, the association of HCV infection with diabetes-related complications has not yet been clarified. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of HCV infection in T2D-patients in Kuwait which has a high incidence of type 2 diabetes, and to investigate the association between HCV viremia and diabetes-related complications. A total of 438 patients with T2D (325 Kuwaitis and 113 Egyptians), and 440 control subjects, were enrolled for this study. HCV infection was assessed by testing for serum HCV-specific antibodies, and by detection of HCV RNA. HCV viral load and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels were assessed in patients with and without diabetes complications. Thirty one (7%) out of 438 T2D-patients had evidence of HCV infection compared to 4 (1%) out of 440 control adults (p<0.0001). The prevalence of HCV infection in Kuwaiti and Egyptian T2D-patients was 3% and 18%, respectively. Most of the HCV sequences detected in T2D patients and control subjects were of genotype 4. The HbA1c levels in T2D-patients with HCV viremia were significantly higher than those in HCV-negative patients. HCV viremia, female sex, age, family history of diabetes were found to be independent risk factors for diabetes complications. The results suggest that T2D-patients in Kuwait have higher prevalence of HCV infection than controls, and that HCV viremia is associated with diabetes-related complications.
authors: Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, Kuwait. wchehadeh@hsc.edu.kw
authors: Wassim
authors: W
authors: Chehadeh
authors: Susan Silpi
authors: SS
authors: Kurien
authors: Nabila
authors: N
authors: Abdella
authors: Abdullah
authors: A
authors: Ben-Nakhi
authors: Monira
authors: M
authors: Al-Arouj
authors: Thaier
authors: T
authors: Almuaili
authors: Obaid
authors: O
authors: Al-Mutairi
authors: Widad
authors: W
authors: Al-Nakib
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D048909:Diabetes Complications / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000032:analysis*; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000821:virology; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007730:Kuwait / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D012307:Risk Factors; D019562:Viral Load; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D012367:RNA, Viral