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Hepatitis C virus risk factors in the Turkish community

Beytullah Yildirim1, Veysel Tahan, Resat Ozaras

  • 1Department of Gastroenterology, Marmara University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey.

Digestive Diseases and Sciences
|January 18, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) transmission in Turkey is linked to surgical operations, dental procedures, and multiple sexual partners. These factors, along with blood transfusions, represent key risks for chronic HCV infection.

Area of Science:

  • Hepatology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a significant global health concern, often presenting asymptomatically.
  • Understanding HCV transmission routes is crucial for effective public health strategies.
  • The Turkish population's specific risk factors for HCV infection require detailed investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify and assess the primary risk factors associated with Hepatitis C virus infection.
  • To evaluate the transmission rates of HCV to spouses and children within affected families.
  • To analyze the prevalence of specific risk factors in the Turkish community.

Main Methods:

  • A case-control study involving 151 patients with chronic Hepatitis C and 151 controls.
  • Clinical assessments included complete blood count, liver function tests (ALT, AST), albumin, prothrombin time, and ultrasonography.
  • Percutaneous liver biopsy was performed on non-cirrhotic patients; Anti-HCV testing used second-generation ELISA for all 302 participants.

Main Results:

  • Significant risk factors identified include minor and major surgical operations, blood transfusions, multi-partner sex, frequent dental therapy, and dental extractions.
  • HCV was detected in 1.8% of spouses and 1.2% of children of index cases.
  • No significant differences in other investigated risk factors were observed between the patient and control groups.

Conclusions:

  • Surgical operations, frequent dental care, dental extractions, multiple sexual partners, and blood transfusions are identified as primary risk factors for HCV infection in the Turkish population.
  • The study highlights the importance of these factors in the transmission of Hepatitis C virus.
  • Findings underscore the need for targeted prevention strategies within the community to mitigate HCV spread.

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