Seroprevalence of Hepatitis C Virus Infection in Nigerians with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Abstract

Background: Several studies have suggested a strong epidemiologic association between Diabetes Mellitus (DM) and Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infection in some populations. However, the reasons why chronic HCV infection is prevalent in DM remain unknown. Our aims were to determine the prevalence of HCV infection in a population of Nigerian diabetics compared with the general population as well as assess the influence of sex and age on HCV infection in the same diabetic population. Design and Methods: A total of 115 diabetic patients were compared with 2,301 blood donors matched by recognized risk factors to acquire HCV infection. Serologic testing for anti HCV was done using a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits. Results: Sixty (60) type 2 diabetic patients were males while fifty-five (55) were females. Their mean age was 55.4 ± 9 years and mean blood glucose level was 8.5mmol/l. One subject tested positive for HCV infection. The control group consisted of 2,031 adults recruited from the blood donor\'s clinic. Forty five
of them (2.2%) tested positive for HCV. Conclusion: Our preliminary results suggest a low sero-prevalence of HCV infection among our patients with type 2 diabetes. Presently, routine screening for HCV infection in persons with diabetes may not be
necessary.

Keywords: HCV infection, type 2 diabetes mellitus

Nigerian Journal of Clinical Practice Vol. 11 (3) 2008: pp. 199-201