Molecular Expressions of Co-infection by Hepatitis C Virus with Other Hepatotropic Viruses in Egyptian Patients with Chronic Liver Disease

Abstract

Hepatitis C virus [HCV] is an invasive leading cause of chronic liver disease [CLD]. HCV has already infected at least 170 million people worldwide with a yearly ascending increase by rate of 3 to 4 million persons. It is responsible for 70 to 80% of cases of chronic hepatitis (Verbeeck et al., 2008; Hareedi, 2010). Pathogenic features of HCV infection and progression of CLD may be affected by HCV co-infection with human cytomegalovirus [HCMV] (Ahmed, 2014). The approach of this study was to give an accurate detection of the incidence of HCMV co-infection in CLD Egyptian patients chronically infected with HCV, and to determine the unique role of HCMV/HCV co-infection in CLD progression by recording the HCMV/HCV co-infection at different stages of CLD. Also, this work was assessed to examine the change in transcription of type 1 interferon [IFN] alpha/beta related genes coordinated in Janus activated kinase - signaling transducers of activators and transcription [JAK- STAT] pathway regarding HCV mono-infection as well as HCMV/HCV co-infection that may play an important role in virus immune escape mechanisms, leading to liver disease complications. The results of this study could be summarized in the following points: ● The study proceeded as a cross sectional type starting with 450 subjects were tested for the presence of HCV antibody (HCV-Ab) in their sera using ELISA technique confirming HCV Ab positivity. HCV-Ab negativity was confirmed for 73 healthy individuals who were separated into a distinct