title: Schistosomiasis does not affect the outcome of HCV infection in genotype 4-infected patients.
abstract: Although reports suggest that Schistosoma mansoni increases hepatitis C virus (HCV) morbidity and chronicity, its impact on HCV spontaneous resolution is not clear. HCV genotype, viral load, abdominal ultrasonographic findings, and HCV-specific cell-mediated immunity (CMI) were examined among 141 healthcare workers infected with HCV (68 workers with and 73 workers without S. mansoni). HCV genotype 4 was dominate, and viral loads were 2.62 ± 0.69 × 10(6) and 4.24 ± 1.4 × 10(6) IU/mL among patients with and without coinfection, respectively (P = 0.309); 23.5% with and 32.9% without coinfection had spontaneously resolved HCV infection (P = 0.297). Interferon-γ spot-forming cells/10(6) peripheral blood mononuclear cells among responding viremic patients with and without coinfection were 716 ± 194 and 587 ± 162, whereas among aviremic patients, it was 794 ± 272 and 365 ± 36 (P > 0.05), respectively. In conclusion, there was no statistical difference in HCV spontaneous resolution, viral load, liver pathology, or CMI in patients with or without S. mansoni coinfection, suggesting that it did not impact the outcome of HCV infection.
authors.affiliation: Egyptian Company for Blood Transfusion Services (Egyblood), Agouza, Giza, Egypt; Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Abbasia, Cairo, Egypt; Department of Hepatology, National Liver Institute, Menoufiya University, Menoufiya, Egypt; South Egypt Cancer Institute, Assuit, Egypt; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Minia University, Minia, Egypt.
authors.forename: Walaa R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Allam
authors.forename: Ahmed
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Barakat
authors.forename: Zainab
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zakaria
authors.forename: Gehan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Galal
authors.forename: Tamer S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Abdel-Ghafar
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: El-Tabbakh
authors.forename: Nabiel
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mikhail
authors.forename: Imam
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Waked
authors.forename: Sayed F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Abdelwahab
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000097:blood; D060085:Coinfection / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004534:Egypt; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000378:metabolism / Q000821:virology; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012550:Schistosoma mansoni / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012552:Schistosomiasis / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D019562:Viral Load; D014766:Viremia / Q000469:parasitology
chemical_list: D000956:Antigens, Viral; D007371:Interferon-gamma