Prevalence of Hepatitis C in Liver Cirrhosis Patients

Abstract

Background: Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) is a major cause of chronic liver disease, including liver cirrhosis, globally. Identifying the prevalence of HCV among cirrhotic patients can improve clinical outcomes and guide management strategies.Objective: To determine the prevalence of HCV in patients with liver cirrhosis and assess the association between liver enzyme levels (ALT and AST) and HCV infection.Methods: This retrospective observational study was conducted at Fatima Memorial Hospital, Lahore, from June 2023 to December 2023. Fifty liver cirrhosis patients with abnormal liver function tests were included. HCV infection was evaluated using ELISA for antibodies and PCR for RNA detection. Data analysis was performed using IBM SPSS version 25.0, with a p-value of <0.05 considered significant.Results: Among 50 cirrhotic patients, 60% tested positive for HCV antibodies via ELISA, and 46% were confirmed positive by PCR. Mean ALT levels were significantly higher in ELISA-positive (867 U/L) and PCR-positive (1096.43 U/L) patients compared to ELISA-negative (42 U/L) and PCR-negative (59.96 U/L) patients (p < 0.001).Conclusion: A significant prevalence of HCV was observed among liver cirrhosis patients, with elevated ALT and AST levels indicating liver damage associated with HCV infection.