HCV

The purpose of this study was to assess knowledge, attitude and practices of university students, regarding hepatitis B and C and to compare knowledge and practices/attitudes scores between two different groups. This multi-centre cross -sectional study was conducted from January to June 2008. A group of 2800, at least graduate students, studying in six different universities in Lahore was included in the study. Close-ended questionnaire was used to record demographic information and responses to assess knowledge, attitude and practices about hepatitis B and C. Regarding complications of hepatitis B and C, 47.5% of group I and 26.5% of group II had some relevant knowledge. About mode of transmission, contaminated needles/syringes was mentioned by 89.3% of group I and 82.1% of group II. Similarly blood transfusion, used blades, tattooing and ear/nose piercing were stated higher in group I (92.2%, 90.7%, 68.3% and 73%, respectively) than in group II (72.2%, 75.6%, 45% and 36%, respecti...

Background: Hepatitis A virus (HAV) infections occur mainly as a result of bad
hygienic conditions and Foodborne infections are very common in developing countries
due to the problem of both personal and environmental unhygienic sanitary practices.
Objective: The aim of this study was to detect HAV among food handlers working in
cafeterias in Khartoum Locality.
Methods: Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was done to determine the
presence of anti-HAV IgM and IgG among 90 food handlers (73 males and 17 females)
during the period from June to September 2013.
The results: HAV IgM antibodies were detected in 4.4 % (4 /90) and 98.8% (89/90) were
positive for anti-HAV IgG antibodies.
Conclusion: This study concluded that, there is asymptomatic individuals indicate that
the HAV circulate at low but considerable levels especially among food handlers; that
may be a source of outbreak.

Chronic hepatitis C (HCV) infection is a serious problem all over the world
and has a special importance in Egypt, where the prevalence of infection is
14.7% of population. In males, HCV is associated with sexual dysfunction and
changes in the semen parameters. This study aimed at estimation of a panel of
the most important related hormones in the serum of patients and illustration
of their correlation to the routine laboratory investigations. The four studied
hormones showed alteration in the patients in comparison with the controls.
While androstenedione, prolactin and testosterone were significantly increased
in patients, dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate was decreased. These changes in
the hormones were not related to the liver functions, pathological grade or
even viral load. We hypothesised a model of how HCV can induce these hormonal
changes and recommended to add these hormones to the follow-up
panel of male patients with HCV.

RNA plays critical roles in diverse biological processes but has proven to be a difficult target for small molecule drug development. I addressed this challenge by developing automated SAR by SHAPE (structure-activity-relationships by selective 2’-hydroxyl acylation analyzed by primer extension), a powerful approach for rapid and generic RNA screening against small molecule libraries. I incorporated three innovations in automated SAR by SHAPE that, together, permit effective small molecule screening campaigns against diverse RNA targets. First, I developed and programmed a magnetic bead-based SHAPE protocol on a liquid handling robot. Second, I created an automated SHAPE analysis pipeline by combining reference-based analysis and novel error-correcting algorithms. Third, I applied single-nucleotide resolution statistical hit detection to identify novel RNA ligands.
In a successful proof-of-concept for automated SAR by SHAPE, I screened nearly 500 small molecules against the Hepatitis C Virus Internal Ribosome Entry Site (HCV IRES), a large, highly structured RNA crucial for viral translation and replication. This screen identified more than 80 previously unknown IRES ligands. Significantly, several of these ligands also inhibited IRES-mediated translation in a dual luciferase assay.

*** Under the direction of Kevin Weeks, UNC-Chapel Hill.

This paper explores a series of theoretical approaches to the government of contemporary subjects by drawing on conversational interview data collected as part of a project on the non-medical use of painkillers. I argue that non-medical use exists at the intersection of the structure of medical authority and the agency of individual choice. The operation of medical authority is first explored through the Foucaultian concept of power/knowledge and Ulrich Beck’s ‘risk society’ theory. Liberal philosophies about healthy life choices are then explored as an important counter-discourse. The paper draws on two distinct non-medical practices to demonstrate the tension engendered by these opposing social discourses: the use of painkillers to preempt a headache; and the use of painkillers to manage an opiate dependence. A large portion of the participants in this study discussed using painkillers before they had a headache, in order to avoid a headache. Others discussed the injection of painkillers to regulate an established opiate dependence. It is argued that the narratives of non-medical users stretch the governmentality literature’s emphasis on ‘governing at a distance’, by incorporating notions of resistance. This produces what I term ‘quasi-medical’ references that improvise medical discourse to creatively resist it.

Due to the introduction of newer, more efficacious treatment options, there is a pressing
need for policy makers and public health officials to develop or adapt national
hepatitis C virus (HCV) control strategies to the changing epidemiological landscape.
To do so, detailed, country-specific
data are needed to characterize the burden of
chronic HCV infection. In this study of 17 countries, a literature review of published
and unpublished data on HCV prevalence, viraemia, genotype, age and gender distribution,
liver transplants and diagnosis and treatment rates was conducted, and inputs
were validated by expert consensus in each country. Viraemic prevalence in this study
ranged from 0.2% in Hong Kong to 2.4% in Taiwan, while the largest viraemic populations
were in Nigeria (2 597 000 cases) and Taiwan (569 000 cases). Diagnosis, treatment
and liver transplant rates varied widely across the countries included in this
analysis, as did the availability of reliable data. Addressing data gaps will be critical for
the development of future strategies to manage and minimize the disease burden of
hepatitis C.

Aptamers are in vitro selected DNA or RNA molecules that are capable of binding a wide range of nucleic and non-nucleic acid molecules with high affinity and specificity. They have been conducted through the process known as SELEX (Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential Enrichment). It serves to reach specificity and considerable affinity to target molecules, including those of viral origin, both proteins and nucleic acids. Properties of aptamers allow detecting virus infected cells or viruses themselves and make them competitive to monoclonal antibodies. Specific aptamers can be used to interfere in each stage of the viral replication cycle and also inhibit its penetration into cells. Many current studies have reported possible application of aptamers as a treatment or diagnostic tool in viral infections, e.g., HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus), HBV (Hepatitis B Virus), HCV (Hepatitis C Virus), SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome), H5N1 avian influenza and recently spread Ebola. This review presents current developments of using aptamers in the diagnostics and treatment of viral diseases.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a universal health issue and a significant risk factor leading to hepatocellular carcinoma. HCV has infected approximately 170 million individuals worldwide. It is a member of Flaviviridae with positive sense RNA genome. In the absence of any effective vaccine against HCV, pegylated interferon with ribavirin is the standard of treatment against HCV infection. In this study, sequence and structural analysis of envelope 2 (E2) protein was performed which was isolated from patients of HCV genotype 3a in Pakistan. Then, epitopes were predicted which were specific for both B-cells and T-cells. Later, conservancy of epitopes was checked with the HCV 3a and 1a sequences from different countries. A total of 6 conserved epitopes were found from extra-membranous regions of E2 protein. Presence of conserved epitopes in E2 protein generates the possibility that these epitopes can be used to elicit the immune response against HCV.

In this article, a novel approximate analytical solution is presented for solving the standard viral dynamic model. Basically, the standard model is used to study viral dynamics in patients for a wide range of viruses like HIV, HPV, HBV, and HCV. In this research work, the standard model for hepatitis C virus (HCV) is considered in detail; however, the analysis and results can be applicable for all other viruses. is standard model is used to study viral dynamics in patients treated with direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs). Power series solution combined with Laplace-Padé resummation method (PSLP) is used to obtain the approximate analytical solutions for the model. To test the capability as well as the validity of the proposed method, results are compared with available viral load data published in the literature and with published simulation results. Good fits are obtained in the comparison for all cases considered. Given that medical specialists and physicians are more interested in solutions that yield direct and simple predictions, it is expected that the proposed approximate analytical solution would be attractive to them and help them to obtain a straightforward and a proper estimation regarding the viral load due to variations in treatment and/or patient's parameters.

Abstract: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infects approximately 3 % of the world’s population. Currently licensed treatment of HCV chronic infection with pegylated-interferon-α and ribavirin, is not fully effective against all HCV genotypes and is associated to severe side effects. Thus, development of novel therapeutics and identification of new targets for treatment of HCV infection is necessary. Current opinion is orienting to target antiviral drug discovery to the host cell pathways on which the virus relies, instead of against viral structures. Many intracellular signaling pathways manipulated by HCV for its own replication are finely regulated by the oxido-reductive (redox) state of the host cell. At the same time, HCV induces oxidative stress that has been found to affect both virus replication as well as progression and severity of HCV infection. A dual role, positive or negative, for the host cell oxidized conditions on HCV replication has been reported so far. This review examines...

Blood transfusions are contributing to a higher rate of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in Pakistan. Half of all blood transfusions in Pakistan are not screened for hepatitis C, hepatitis B or HIV. Family members donate blood that is likely not tested due to social stigma attached to HCV. Paid donations are also quite common in the country, especially by people who inject drugs (PWID), which increases the population's exposure to HCV. Most of the population utilizes the private sector for their health needs; this sector has lax regulation due to the lack of oversight by the government or any other regulatory body. In addition, groups who are at most need for blood transfusions, such as hemophiliacs and those with thalassemia, have a higher rate of hepatitis C. This fact reinforces the need for blood transfusion reform in Pakistan, which includes improving oversight, upgrading infrastructure and promoting health literacy through cultural norms, according to the World Health Organization ...

Nosocomial transmission of HCV is a concern in haemodialysis (HD) units worldwide. Diagnosis of HCV infection among dialysis patients is currently based on the detection of anti HCV antibodies by ELISA, and is confirmed by HCV RNA. The average window period between HCV infection and seroconversion with new generations of HCV antibody tests remains approximately 70 days with more prolonged period among dialysis patients. In this study we assessed the diagnostic performance of an immunoassay designed for simultaneous detection of anti HCV antibodies and core antigen in one step in comparison to qualitative RT-PCR and anti HCV antibodies detection test among Egyptian haemodialysis patients. The studied patients were 39 chronic renal failure patients on maintenance haemodialysis. The results obtained in the present study revealed HCV infection of 56.4%. Combined Ag/Ab test detected 3 out of the 4 anti-HCV negative viraemic patients who were in the window period. The sensitivity, specifi...

Factors influencing the morbidity and mortality associated with viremic hepatitis C virus
(HCV) infection change over time and place, making it difficult to compare reported estimates.
Models were developed for 17 countries (Bahrain, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Colombia,
Croatia, Dominican Republic, Ethiopia, Ghana, Hong Kong, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia,
Morocco, Nigeria, Qatar and Taiwan) to quantify and characterize the viremic population
as well as forecast the changes in the infected population and the corresponding disease
burden from 2015 to 2030. Model inputs were agreed upon through expert consensus,
and a standardized methodology was followed to allow for comparison across countries.
The viremic prevalence is expected to remain constant or decline in all but four countries
(Ethiopia, Ghana, Jordan and Oman); however, HCV-related
morbidity and mortality will
increase in all countries except Qatar and Taiwan. In Qatar, the high-treatment
rate will
contribute to a reduction in total cases and HCV-related
morbidity by 2030. In the remaining
countries, however, the current treatment paradigm will be insufficient to
achieve large reductions in HCV-related
morbidity and mortality.

In Saudi Arabia, as a result of using blood donation screening tests, the prevalence of CHC has decreased over the last decade. Moreover, the use of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) techniques as a screening tool for blood donors is likely to enhance the decrease in the rate of HCV transmission. Our biomarkers studied included liver function tests compare the HCV viral loads in the serum and six studied interleukins; IL6, IL9, IL10, IL22, IL33 and IFN-γ cytokines in the patient's group.Also, the study included a comparison between the liver function tests with cytokines levels in 57 patients CHC and 31 healthy control (HC). Interleukins showed different response toward CHC infection according to their percentage change concentration in pg/ml of plasma samples. These are as following: IL10 (33.9%), IL33 (30.0%0), IL6 (26.6%), IL9 (25.7%), IL22 (17.0%) and IFN-ɤ (2.4%). IL-33 had a decrease in its level up to 69.72 pg/ml in CHC group after treatment compared to that of HC group with 99.62 pg/ml. IL-33 was thus proposed to function as a novel alarmin (intracellular alarm signal released upon cell injury) to alert the immune system of tissue damage following trauma or infection. Moreover, levels of IL-33 serum correlated with the concentrations of ALT and AST in CHC patients. Plasma ALT and AST level were significantly higher in the CHC patient group than in the control group (54.8±48.1 IU/L vs. 33.4± 27.1 IU/L, p<0.009 and 50.3±45.5 IU/L vs. 27.5± 21.7 IU/L, p<0.002). IL6, IL9, and IL22 levels were found to correlated with treatment resistance to PEG-IFN/RBV therapy. Moreover, viral load had no correlation with patient's gender and age as well as with liver function tests (AST: 0.595, ALT: 0.882, ALP 0.232, DB: 0.362, GGT: 0.326, ALB: 0.829, TB: 0.469). In conclusion, the current study suggests that IL33 can use as an indicator for detecting the response of patients with CHC to combinational treatment to support the results of liver function tests and viral load and to detect the response of patients to therapy and the progression of the disease.

Hepatitis C and AIDS are serious health problems worldwide. Hepatitis C is a major cause of liver disease, while AIDS results in progressive failure of the immune system that allows life threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive respectively. The objective of this study was to analyze the prevalence of HCV, HIV and HCV/HIV co-infection among different groups of apparently healthy people of Peshawar cantonment and to know the risk factors. The study was conducted at Pathology department, Khyber Teaching Hospital Peshawar Cantonment from February 2013 to June 2013. A total of 400 people from general population were screened for HCV and HIV by ELISA method. The overall prevalence of HCV shows that out of 400 samples for HCV, 340 subjects were found negative and 60 were positive for HCV. Age of the subjects was 19-60 years. 40 samples were screened for each group and out of 40 samples each 16(40%) shopkeepers, 10(25%) barbers, 10(25%) drug users, 8(20%) sweepers, 8(20%) food workers, 2(5%) out of 40 each among scrap merchants, mechanics, government employs and health care workers were positive for HCV. However, all the samples from students were HCV negative. 28% HCV positive cases were below the age of 40 (<40 years), while 51% of the HCV positive cases were above the age of 40 (>40 years). 95% of the HCV positive individuals were uneducated and 60% of HCV positive individuals were married. The total prevalence of HCV in Peshawar cantonment was 15% while the prevalence of HIV and HCV/HIV co-infection was 0 %. The majority of study groups were uneducated and belonged to low socioeconomic status. The risk factors include commercial sex and non-marital sex, sharing blades and shaving kits, exposure to infected blood or infected needles, using unsterile equipment’s, injection drug use and unawareness. It is concluded that chronic hepatitis C is common in asymptomatic healthy population and they are the possible candidates for chronic liver disease and potential sources of spread of infection, while HIV or HCV/HIV co-infection is not prevalent in the studied region.

OBJECTIVES: To compare sexual practices and risk behaviours between MSM who were first diagnosed with hepatitis C (HCV) in the previous 12 months and those who were never diagnosed; and, to identify factors associated with a diagnosis of HCV.

METHODS: The European-MSM-Internet-Survey (EMIS) was implemented for 3 months during 2010, mainly on websites for MSM. Data on socio-demographic characteristics, sexual behaviour, drug use, STI history, and other sexual health variables were collected. The Chi-square test and logistic regression analysis were used to analyse the data.

RESULTS: Data from 13,111 respondents were analysed. The proportion of MSM who had ever been diagnosed with HCV infection was 1.9% (n=250), and of those currently infected with the virus was 0.6% (n=78). The percentage of those first diagnosed in the last 12 months was 0.4% (n=46), of whom 70% were HIV-negative and 22% had HIV coinfection. Having a first diagnosis of HCV in the last 12 months was more common among HIV-positive than among HIV-negative MSM (0.9% vs 0.4%) and among MSM born abroad than among Spanish-born (0.7% vs 0.3%). MSM diagnosed with HCV in the last 12 months were more likely to have had: more than 10 sexual partners, sex abroad, receptive anal intercourse, insertive/receptive fisting, and unprotected anal intercourse with non-steady partners of unknown or discordant HIV-status. Likewise, they reported more frequent visits to sex-focused venues, higher drug use, as well as a higher proportion of STI diagnosis. In the multivariate model, visiting a public sex-focused venue, practicing receptive fisting, using erection enhancing medication and having a diagnosis of syphilis were independently associated with a first diagnosis of HCV in the last 12 months.

CONCLUSIONS: HCV infection does not seem to be restricted to HIV-infected MSM. Certain sexual behaviour (fisting, visiting sex-focused venues), drug use, and ulcerative STI seem to be associated with a diagnosis of HCV.

HCV strains belonging to genotype 4 may be gaining endemicity across Continental Europe but the extent of their spread in the United Kingdom is unknown. Sera referred from patients attending hospitals in England between 2004 through 2008 were characterised. A total of 243 sera carried HCV genotype 4. The most common subtypes were 4a (33%) and 4d (35%). Compared to patients infected by 4d, those infected by 4a were 20 times more likely to be Middle Eastern than English, and those infected by non-4a/4d were older, tended to be female, and 50 or 12 times more likely to be Middle Eastern or South Asian, respectively, than English. Persons infected by 4d tended to be English rather than Middle Eastern or South Asian. One group of 4d strains clustered with strains reported from persons in Europe engaged in male homosexual activity. Surveillance of trends in the importation and subsequent spread of HCV genotype 4 and its subtypes is advocated.

In this paper we employ phylogenetic reconstruction of complete HCV genomes to propose the hypothesis that poor treatment response in patients of African origin when infected with particular HCV genotypes is a result of long term adaptation of these HCV genotypes to African populations.

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Specific human polymorphisms, most commonly found in Central Africa, can predict the success of drug treatment against the hepatitis C virus (HCV), a significant and globally-distributed human pathogen. However, this association is only found for a subset of HCV genotypes. Despite receiving considerable attention in the medical and virological literature, no evolutionary explanation for this curious pattern has been put forward. Here we suggest that the 'drug treatment resistance' phenotype exhibited today by some HCV genotypes evolved hundreds to thousands of years ago in response to human genetic variation local to Central Africa: an adaptation that has since accrued a new function in the era of anti-viral drug treatment. This could represent one of the oldest known examples of viral exaptation at the population level.

Cobalamins are stored in high concentrations in the human liver and thus are available to participate in the regulation of hepatotropic virus functions. We show that cyanocobalamin (vitamin B12) inhibited the HCV internal ribosome entry site (IRES)-dependent translation of a reporter gene in vitro in a dose-dependent manner without significantly affecting the cap-dependent mechanism. Vitamin B12 failed to inhibit translation by IRES elements from encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV) or classical swine fever virus (CSFV). We also demonstrate a relationship between the total cobalamin concentration in human sera and HCV viral load (a measure of viral replication in the host). The mean viral load was two orders of magnitude greater when the serum cobalamin concentration was above 200 pM (P < 0.003), suggesting that the total cobalamin concentration in an HCV-infected liver is biologically significant in HCV replication.

Blood transfusions are contributing to a higher rate of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in Pakistan. Half of all blood transfusions in Pakistan are not screened for hepatitis C, hepatitis B or HIV. Family members donate blood that is likely not tested due to social stigma attached to HCV. Paid donations are also quite common in the country, especially by people who inject drugs (PWID), which increases the population&#39;s exposure to HCV. Most of the population utilizes the private sector for their health needs; this sector has lax regulation due to the lack of oversight by the government or any other regulatory body. In addition, groups who are at most need for blood transfusions, such as hemophiliacs and those with thalassemia, have a higher rate of hepatitis C. This fact reinforces the need for blood transfusion reform in Pakistan, which includes improving oversight, upgrading infrastructure and promoting health literacy through cultural norms, according to the World Health Organization ...

The present study was conducted on the prevalence of Hepatitis C in the general population of District Swat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan from January 2017 to October 2017. A total of about 1415 individuals were examined, among which 74 (5.22%) were found positive against HCV antibody test. Of the 1415 examined individuals, 759 (53.6%) were males and 656 (46.4%) were females. Among the 74 (5.22%) infected individuals, 32 were females and 42 were males. A maximum number of individuals who were HCV antibody positive belongs to the age group the between 36 to 55 years (21 and 17 i.e. 7% and 6.9%). samples found positive for antibody and antigen-based test, were further investigated for the presence of Hepatitis C related RNA with PCR and the results show that only 32 (2.3%) individuals have Hepatitis C viral RNA. This is about (43.24%) of the total HCV antibody positive individuals. Out of 32 HCV-PCR positive samples, 11 (34.4%) were symptomatic and 21 (65.6%) were asymptomatic. Further analysis of the PCR positive samples shows that 20 (62.5%) were females and 12 (37.7%) were male. Among the HCV positive samples, genotype 3a was the most abundant 18 (56.2%) of the infected individuals followed by genotype 3b in 4 female (20%) and 3 male (25%), genotype 2a in 3 females (15%) and 2 male (16.6%), and 1b in 1 (5%) females and 1 (8.3%) male. No unknown RNA sequences were found in the studied samples.

Blood transfusions are contributing to a higher rate of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in Pakistan. Half of all blood transfusions in Pakistan are not screened for hepatitis C, hepatitis B or HIV. Family members donate blood that is likely not tested due to social stigma attached to HCV. Paid donations are also quite common in the country, especially by people who inject drugs (PWID), which increases the population's exposure to HCV. Most of the population utilizes the private sector for their health needs; this sector has lax regulation due to the lack of oversight by the government or any other regulatory body. In addition, groups who are at most need for blood transfusions, such as hemophiliacs and those with thalassemia, have a higher rate of hepatitis C. This fact reinforces the need for blood transfusion reform in Pakistan, which includes improving oversight, upgrading infrastructure and promoting health literacy through cultural norms, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations. The lessons learned in Pakistan can be adapted to countries facing similar issues.

Abstract: It is an efficient alternative channel for communication without speech and hand movements is important to increase the quality of life for patients suffering from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis or other illnesses that prevent correct limb and facial muscular responses. In this respect, the area of study related to the Human Computer Interaction and Brain Computer Interface (BCI) is very important in hopes of improving the medium term quality of the life for such patients.
Keywords: HCV, computer, iris, H.C.I.
Title: IRIS Controlled Human Computer Interface for Paralytic Person
Author: Supriya Gaikwad, Zuber Shaikh, Rahul Salunke
International Journal of Computer Science and Information Technology Research
ISSN 2348-1196 (print), ISSN 2348-120X (online)
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