Issa, R., Abdalla, S., Abd El-Hamid, A., Mahmoud, N., Saleh, M. (2015). Assessment of Epstein-Barr (EBV) Virus Infection in Relation to the Response of Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Infected Patients to Interferon-Based Therapy. test, 18(2), 125-135. doi: 10.21608/scumj.2015.45644
Rama M Issa; Salah El-Din M Abdalla; Alaa El-Din S Abd El-Hamid; Nora F Mahmoud; Mai H Saleh. "Assessment of Epstein-Barr (EBV) Virus Infection in Relation to the Response of Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Infected Patients to Interferon-Based Therapy". test, 18, 2, 2015, 125-135. doi: 10.21608/scumj.2015.45644
Issa, R., Abdalla, S., Abd El-Hamid, A., Mahmoud, N., Saleh, M. (2015). 'Assessment of Epstein-Barr (EBV) Virus Infection in Relation to the Response of Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Infected Patients to Interferon-Based Therapy', test, 18(2), pp. 125-135. doi: 10.21608/scumj.2015.45644
Issa, R., Abdalla, S., Abd El-Hamid, A., Mahmoud, N., Saleh, M. Assessment of Epstein-Barr (EBV) Virus Infection in Relation to the Response of Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Infected Patients to Interferon-Based Therapy. test, 2015; 18(2): 125-135. doi: 10.21608/scumj.2015.45644

Assessment of Epstein-Barr (EBV) Virus Infection in Relation to the Response of Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Infected Patients to Interferon-Based Therapy

Suez Canal University Medical Journal
Article 5, Volume 18, Issue 2, October 2015, Pages 125-135    PDF (863.84 K)
Document Type: Original Article
DOI: 10.21608/scumj.2015.45644
Authors
Rama M Issa* 1; Salah El-Din M Abdalla2; Alaa El-Din S Abd El-Hamid3; Nora F Mahmoud2; Mai H Saleh3
1Teaching Hospital of Oncology, Ismailia, Egypt
2Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of pharmacy, Suez Canal University, Egypt
3Department of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University, Egypt
Abstract
Background: Epstein Barr(EBV) is a ubiquitous pathogen that infects the majority of humans. Coinfection of EBV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) may worsen the prognosis of HCV-infected patients. Aim: This study was conducted to examine the role of EBV reactivation in determining the response rate to treatment with interferon and ribavirin therapy in chronic HCV patients. Patients and Methods: One hundred patients with proven chronic hepatitis C who underwent PEG IFN + ribavirin therapy and twenty healthy controls (negative for both HCV and HBV antibodies) were enrolled in this study. HCV and EBV were assessed using both molecular (RT-PCR) and serological (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay). Results: EBV was significantly undetectable in non-responders compared responders (96.2% vs. 77.0%, respectively, p<0.05). While there was a statistically significant higher percentage of EBV (>2000 copies/ml) among responders compared to non-responder patients (14.9% vs. 0%, respectively, p<0.05). Serologically, no statistically significant differences was found between both groups regarding EBV antibodies (p>0.05). However, a statistically significant higher percentage of past infection with EBV was detected among nonresponder compared to responders (100% vs. 81.8%, respectively) (p<0.05). Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that there is a unidirectional relation between EBV and HCV in our study subjects.
Keywords
latent virus; co-infection; antiviral treatment
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