title: Clinical, biochemical and pathological profiles of 5464 Egyptian chronic hepatitis C-infected patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In Egypt, hepatitis C virus (HC is highly endemic with at least 91% are genotype-4. However, HCV-specific burden data for Egypt are scarce. The study aims to identify clinical, biochemical and pathological features of chronic HCV population in Egypt.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed retrospective data of 5,464 HCV-antibody and PCR positive patients attending pre-treatment assessment at one of the National Treatment Centers, Cairo, Egypt.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Chronic HCV patients were males (81.4%) in their productive age, mean body mass index (BMI): 28 kg/m2. Laboratory profile demonstrated mean platelet count 214 x 10(3)/µ L with only 14% having thrombocytopenia, amino-transferases were mildly elevated: mean AST, ALT were 56 and 63 respectively,low viraemia: 50% had viral load <100 (x 10(3)) IU/mL,and median AFP level 3.3 ng/mL. Liver biopsy revealed ≤A2 in 92% of patients; 80% had ≤F2 and 7.3 % had F4 according to the METAVIR score. Meta regression demonstrated that advanced stages of fibrosis were significantly correlated with platelet count, AST/ALT ratio, AFP levels and BMI (p <0.001). However there was no correlation with viral load.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  To our knowledge, this is the first study on nationwide scale that provided the demographic, biochemical,and histological characteristics for this number of chronic HCV patients presumably genotype-4.
authors.forename: Mahasen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mabrouk
authors.forename: Maissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: El-Raziky
authors.forename: Naglaa
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zayed
authors.forename: Rabab
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Salama
authors.forename: Wafaa
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: El-Akel
authors.forename: Tahany
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Awad
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: El Beshlawy
authors.forename: Gamal
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Esmat
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001706:Biopsy; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004534:Egypt / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010641:Phenotype; D010976:Platelet Count; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D019562:Viral Load; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: C097353:AFP protein, human; D015415:Biomarkers; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D012367:RNA, Viral; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase