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Dual infection with hepatitis C and B viruses: clinical and histological study in Saudi patients
A el S Mohamed1, M A al Karawi, G A Mesa
1Department of Gastroenterology, Armed Forces Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Background/Aims:
The purpose of this study was to assess the clinical and histological significance of dual infection with Hepatitis C virus and Hepatitis B virus.
Methodology:
The clinical presentation and histologic findings of 20 patients with HCV and HBV were reviewed and compared to 33 patients with only HCV, as controls. None of the patients were treated and none had anti-HDV or HIV 1/HIV2.
Results:
The patients with dual HCV and HBV infection had more decompensated liver disease. Most of these patients were classified in the Child-Pugh group C as compared to the controls (36.8% vs 0%, p < 0.01). Liver cirrhosis was more common in patients with HCV and HBV infection than it was in the controls infected with HCV only (95% vs 48.5%, p < 0.01). Similarly, hepatocellular carcinoma was more common in patients with dual HCV and HBV infection than it was in the controls (63% vs 15%, p < 0.01).
Conclusion:
Liver disease seems to be more severe in patients with dual HCV and HBV infection than in patients with HCV infection only, both clinically and histologically.