Original Article

Prevalence of Hepatitis C Virus Infection in General Population of Mashhad, Northeastern Iran

Abstract

Background: Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infection is one of the major blood-borne infections worldwide. HCV carriers may develop chronic hepatitis leading to liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). There is no overall estimate of the infection prevalence in the northeast of Iran. We have performed this research in order to determine accurately the prevalence and risk factors of HCV infection among general population in Mashhad.

Methods: During 2009, 1678 people between 1 to 90 yr old with the mean age of 29.1±18.5 yr were selected randomly by multistage sampling from different geographical regions of the city proportionate to sex and age distribution of population in 2006 census. ELISA was used to screen for antibodies and RT-PCR tested the positive samples.

Results: HCV infection was detected in 7/1654 cases; overall prevalence of the infection was 0.42% (95%CI: 0.17-0.87%), 0.80% and 0.11% among males and females, respectively (P= 0.051). One HCV-infected subject was also positive for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), however, no cases showed HIV or HTLV seropositivity.

Conclusion: In comparison with similar studies, the prevalence of HCV infection in Mashhad is low.

 

Houghton M (2007). Hepatitis C Viruses. In: Fields Virology. Ed(s), Fields BN, Knipe DM, Howley PM, 5th edn. Philadelphia: Lippincott- Raven, pp. 1035-1053.

Gravitz L (2011). Introduction: a smouldering public-health crisis. Nature, 474:S2-4.

Mohd Hanafiah K, Groeger J, Flaxman A, Wiersma S (2013). Global epidemiology of hepatitis C virus infection: new estimates of age-specific antibody to HCV seroprevalence. Hepatology, 57:1333-42.

WHO (June 2011. Retrieved 2011-07-13). World Health Organization (WHO).

Alavian S, Ahmadzad-Asl M, Lankarani K, Shahbabaie M, Bahrami A, Kabir A (2009). Hepatitis C Infection in the General Population of Iran: A Systematic Review. Hepat Mon, 9:211-223.

Rezvan H, Ahmadi J, Farhadi M (1994). A preliminary study on the prevalence of anti HCV amongst healthy blood donors in Iran. Vox Sang. 67 (Suppl 2):100. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1423-0410.1994.tb03669.x/epdf?r3_referer=wol&tracking_action=preview_click&show_checkout=1&purchase_referrer=onlinelibrary.wiley.com&purchase_site_license=LICENSE_EXPIRED

Merat S, Rezvan H, Nouraie M, Jafari E, Abolghasemi H, Radmard AR, Zaer-rezaii H, Amini-Kafiabad S, Maghsudlu M, Pourshams A, Malekzadeh R, Esmaili S (2010). Seroprevalence of hepatitis C virus: the first population-based study from Iran. Int J Infect Dis, 14 Suppl 3:e113-6.

Sayad B, Shamsedin F, Keyvani H et al (2008). Seroepidemiology of Hepatitis C in Kermanshah (West of Iran, 2006). Hepatitis Monthly 8:141-146.

Amiri ZM, Shakib AJ, Toorchi M (2005). Seroprevalence of hepatitis C and risk factors in haemodialysis patients in Guilan, Islamic Republic of Iran. East Mediterr Health J, 11:372-6.

Simmonds P (2004). Genetic diversity and evolution of hepatitis C virus--15 years on. J Gen Virol, 85 (Pt 11):3173-88.

Chlabicz S, Flisiak R, Lapinski TW et al (2011). Epidemiological features of patients infected with HCV genotype 4 in Poland: Epidemiology of HCV genotype 4 in Poland. Hepat Mon, 11:191-4.

Zein N, Rakela J, Krawitt E, Reddy K, Tominaga T, Persing D (1996). Hepatitis C virus genotypes in the United States: epidemiology, pathogenicity, and response to interferon therapy. Ann Intern Med, 125:634-9.

Samimi-Rad K, Nategh R, Malekzadeh R, Norder H, Magnius L (2004). Molecular epidemiology of hepatitis C virus in Iran as reflected by phylogenetic analysis of the NS5B region. J Med Virol, 74:246-52.

Vossughinia H, Goshayeshi L, Bayegi HR, Sima H, Kazemi A, Erfani S, Abedini S, Ghaffarzadegan K, Nomani H, Jamehdar SA (2012). Prevalence of Hepatitis C Virus Genotypes in Mashhad, Northeast Iran. Iran J Public Health, 41:56-61.

Rafatpanah H, Hedayati-Moghaddam MR, Fathimoghadam F et al (2011). High prevalence of HTLV-I infection in Mashhad, Northeast Iran: a population-based seroepidemiology survey. J Clin Virol, 52:172-6.

Fathimoghaddam F, Hedayati-Moghaddam MR, Bidkhori HR, Ahmadi S, Sima HR (2011). The prevalence of hepatitis B antigen-positivity in the general population of Mashhad, Iran. Hepat Mon, 11:346-50.

Shakeri MT, Nomani H, Ghayour Mobarhan M, Sima HR, Gerayli S, Shahbazi S, Rostami S, Meshkat Z (2013). The prevalence of hepatitis C virus in mashhad, iran: a population-based study. Hepat Mon, 13:e7723.

Ebrahimzadeh A, Azarkar Z, Ziaee M, Sharifzadeh G, Bijari B (2016). Prevalence and Risk Factors of Hepatitis C Infection (HCV) in Birjand, Iran, 2014. Int J Infect, 3:e34102.

Zamani F, Sohrabi M, Poustchi H et al (2013). Prevalence and risk factors of hepatitis C virus infection in amol city, north of iran: a population-based study (2008-2011). Hepat Mon, 13:e13313.

Taherkhani R, Farshadpour F (2015). Epidemiology of hepatitis C virus in Iran. World J Gastroenterol, 21:10790-10810.

Galetskii SA, Seniuta NB, Syrtsev AV, Abdullaev OM, Aliev DA, Kerimov AA, Yamashita M, Hayami M, Kato T, Mizokami M (1999). [Analysis of some viral infections, transmitted by parenteral and sexual routes, in the Republic of Azerbaijan]. Vopr Virusol, 44:232-6.

Waheed Y, Shafi T, Safi SZ, Qadri I (2009). Hepatitis C virus in Pakistan: a systematic review of prevalence, genotypes and risk factors. World J Gastroenterol, 15:5647-53.

Erden S, Buyukozturk S, Calangu S, Yilmaz G, Palanduz S, Badur S (2003). A study of serological markers of hepatitis B and C viruses in Istanbul, Turkey. Med Princ Pract, 12:184-8.

Rezvan H, Abolghassemi H, Kafiabad SA (2007). Transfusion-transmitted infections among multitransfused patients in Iran: a review. Transfus Med, 17:425-33.

Abolghasemi H, Maghsudlu M, Kafi-Abad SA, Cheraghali A (2009). Introduction to Iranian blood transfusion organization and blood safety in Iran. Iran J Public Health, 38(Suppl.1):82-87.

Talaie H, Shadnia SH, Okazi A, Pajouhmand A, Hasanian H, Arianpoor H (2007). The prevalence of hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV infections in non-IV drug opioid poisoned patients in Tehran-Iran. Pak J Biol Sci, 10:220-4.

Files
IssueVol 46 No 3 (2017) QRcode
SectionOriginal Article(s)
Keywords
HCV infection Prevalence General population Iran
Rights and permissions
Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
How to Cite
1.
AHMADI GHEZELDASHT S, HEDAYATI-MOGHADDAM MR, SHAMSIAN K, FATHIMOGHADAM F, BIDKHORI HR, REZAEE SA. Prevalence of Hepatitis C Virus Infection in General Population of Mashhad, Northeastern Iran. Iran J Public Health. 2017;46(3):408-413.