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Switch On/Off of Hepatitis C and Major Chronic Skin Diseases in Egyptian Patients: Study of Prevalence, the Impact of, Gender, Viral Load and the Severity of Liver Disease

Hanan Ali Darwish, Elsayed Mohamed Abdelaal, Mohamed El Sherify, Wesam Morad, Mohamed Ezzat and Tawfik Mohamed Abd-almotaleb

Background and study aim: Hepatitis C has more than liver disease, a panel of systemic manifestation has been linked to HCV. We aimed in this study to evaluate the prevalence of HCV among major chronic skin diseases in Egyptian patients; we also aimed to study the impact of age, gender, viral load, and the possible role of severity of liver injury between the infected patients and association with skin manifestation.

Patients and methods: Between May 2009 and May 2012, 300 patients with chronic skin diseases (72 lichen planus patients, 70 psoriasis, 56 chronic urticaria, 37 vasculitis and 65 vitiligo) and 100 healthy subjects as a control - (not known to suffer from skin or liver diseases), were included in this study, HCV antibodies were done primarily for these subject, patients with positive HCV anti bodies were referred to hepatologists to be evaluated further more for: clinical examination regarding the liver disease, HCV viral load, liver profile, auto-immune markers, TSH, serum creatinine, alkaline phosphatase, HBsAg, and liver biopsy. Patients with negative PCR for HCV, patients with positive HBsAg, cirrhotic patients and patients with positive anti-nuclear antibodies were excluded.

Results: HCV prevalence was significantly higher in patients with chronic skin diseases than control group. No statistical significant difference regarding the viral load, age, gender or the severity of liver disease (diagnosed with liver biopsy) between infected patients among chronic skin disease subgroups and HCV patients in the control group.

Conclusion and recommendation: Hepatitis C is highly prevalent among chronic skin disease patients and might be linked to skin disease. Age, gender, viral load and severity of liver disease had no impact on the prevalence of HCV. Hepatitis C should be rolled out in any patients with chronic skin disease.