title: PCR-Based Molecular Diagnosis of Hepatitis Virus (HBV and HDV) in HCV Infected Patients and Their Biochemical Study.
abstract: Seroprevalence of HCV indicates that HCV is found in more than 10% of HBV- or HDV-infected patients worldwide leading to liver disease. Here we show HBV and HDV coinfection association with HCV infected Pakistani patients, study of disease severity, and possible interpretation of associated risk factors in coinfected patients. A total of 730 liver diseased patients were included, out of which 501 were found positive for HCV infection via PCR. 5.1% of patients were coinfected with HBV while 1% were coinfected with HBV and HDV both. LFTs were significantly altered in dually and triply infected patients as compared to single HCV infection. Mean bilirubin, AST, and ALT levels were highest (3.25 mg/dL, 174 IU/L, and 348 IU/L) in patients with triple infection while dual infection LFTs (1.6 mg/dL, 61 IU/L, and 74 IU/L) were not high as in single infection (1.9 mg/dL, 76 IU/L, and 91 IU/L). The most prominent risk factor in case of single (22%) and dual infection (27%) group was "reuse of syringes" while in triple infection it was "intravenous drug users" (60%). It is concluded that HBV and HDV coinfections are strongly associated with HCV infected Pakistani patients and in case of severe liver disease the possibility of double and triple coinfection should be kept in consideration.
authors.affiliation: Atta-ur-Rahman School of Applied Biosciences, National University of Sciences and Technology, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan; Department of Microbiology, Hazara University, Mansehra 21120, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Muhammad Nasir
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-2279-2390
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Riaz
authors.affiliation: Atta-ur-Rahman School of Applied Biosciences, National University of Sciences and Technology, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan; Ciencias Genomicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Catolica de Brasilia, 70790-160 Brasilia, DF, Brazil.
authors.forename: Muhammad
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-3635-1246
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Faheem
authors.affiliation: Atta-ur-Rahman School of Applied Biosciences, National University of Sciences and Technology, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Muhammad Ayaz
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Anwar
authors.affiliation: Atta-ur-Rahman School of Applied Biosciences, National University of Sciences and Technology, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Ummar
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Raheel
authors.affiliation: Atta-ur-Rahman School of Applied Biosciences, National University of Sciences and Technology, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Yasmeen
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Badshah
authors.affiliation: Atta-ur-Rahman School of Applied Biosciences, National University of Sciences and Technology, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Hashaam
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Akhtar
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Hazara University, Mansehra 21120, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Kosar
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tamanna
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biochemistry and Protein Chemistry, Cell Biology Department, University of Brasilia, 70910-900 Brasilia, DF, Brazil.
authors.forename: Muhammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tahir
authors.affiliation: Atta-ur-Rahman School of Applied Biosciences, National University of Sciences and Technology, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Najam Us Sahar
authors.initials: NU
authors.lastname: Sadaf Zaidi
authors.affiliation: King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdul Aziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Ishtiaq
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-4334-0585
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Qadri