Influence of Gender on CMV Seropositivity in Non-A To G Hepatitis Virus Patients (original) (raw)

Higher clearance of hepatitis C virus infection in females compared with males

Gut, 2006

Background and aims: According to the literature, 14-46% of subjects clear hepatitis C virus (HCV) from blood after infection. Controversy exists about sex differences in HCV clearance rates. Patients and methods: We compared HCV clearance in males and females using data from a large population based study on HCV infection in Egypt. Definitions used in the paper were: cleared HCV infection (positive HCV antibody and negative HCV RNA test results) and chronic HCV infection (positive HCV antibody and positive HCV RNA test results). The study sample included 4720 village residents aged 18-65 years recruited through home based visits (n = 2425) or voluntary screening (n = 2295). Results: Overall, HCV antibody prevalence was 910/4720 (19.3% (95% confidence interval 18.2-20.4)). Of those with HCV antibodies (n = 910), 61.5% had chronic HCV infection. Compared with males, females were more likely to have cleared the virus (44.6% v 33.7%, respectively; p = 0.001). Control for age, schistosomiasis history, iatrogenic exposures, and sexual exposure to HCV did not alter the positive association between female sex and viral clearance. Conclusion: This study provides strong evidence in favour of a higher HCV clearance rate in females compared with males.

Gender influence on treatment of chronic hepatitis C genotype 1

Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical, 2010

Although various studies have been published regarding the treatment of chronic hepatitis C (CHC) with peginterferon (Peg-IFN) and ribavirin, little is known regarding the real impact of gender on the characteristics that influence the effectiveness and safety of antiviral treatment for CHC patients. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of gender on HCV treatment outcomes. Methods: A retrospective analytical study was conducted among selected carriers of CHC genotype 1, who were treated with Peg-IFN α-2b at a dose of 1.5 µg/kg or Peg-IFN α-2a at a dose of 180 µg/week plus a ribavirin dose of 1,000-1,250 mg/day, according to weight, between 2001 and 2007. Results: Among 181 patients undergoing treatment, the mean age was 46.4 ± 11.0 years and 46% were women. At baseline, 32% of the patients had advanced fibrosis (F3-F4 Scheuer), and 83% of the subjects had viral load > 400,000 IU/ml, without significant difference between the genders (p = 0.428 and p = 0.452, respectively). When compared with men, women had higher incidence of many adverse events such as anemia (p < 0.001) and higher need for dose reduction, for both Peg-IFN (p = 0.004) and ribavirin (p = 0.006). However, the rate of sustained virological response (SVR) did not differ between the genders: 45% (female) vs 41% (male); p=0.464.

Gender Disparity in Hepatitis: A New Task in the Challenge Against Viral Infection

the serum prevalence of HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) and the DNA virus titers are higher in serum of men than women [12,13]. Both these viral factors probably contribute to the increased risk to develop HCC in male with respect to female. In fact, the male/female ratio for HCC prevalence has been reported to be from 2:1 to 4:1 [14]. Due to the close interaction between virus and host, both host and viral mechanisms could be responsible of this gender disparity in HBV infection and disease progression. One of these mechanisms seems to be ascribable to hormonal milieu [15]. For instance, steroid hormones have been suggested to mediate sex differences in susceptibility to liver cancer upon HBV infection: elevated testosterone levels and expression of Androgen Receptor (AR) genes were found strictly related with the increased risk of HCC in men [16]. One mechanism by which androgens affect HBV replication has been identified in their direct binding to Androgen Response Elements (ARE) in the enhancer I of HBV thus causing modulation of virus transcription and increasing virus titer in serum of males [17]. In turn, HBV directly increases AR level through the enhancing transcriptional activity of AR, mediated by the HBV encoded X protein [18]. In addition, hormones can affect host immune response. With regard to this, 17-beta estradiol (E2), a major naturally occurring estrogen in women, reduces the synthesis of Interleukin-6 by Kupffer cells, a cytokine known to play a crucial role in fibrosis and HCC. This apparently occurs in the livers of male mice through the inhibition of the transcription factor NFkB (nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells) via the universal adapter protein Mydd88 [19]. Recently, an HCC-related mutation in the large surface antigen of HBV genotype C has been found only in male patients [20]. All these mechanisms can at least partially explain the gender disparity in the progression of HBV infection towards HCC. Furthermore, given the hormone modulation exerted by HBV, this virus has recently been considered as a sex-hormone responsive. One more facet of disparity is the sex difference in response to HBV vaccine: anti-HBV antibodies titers have been found higher in vaccinated females than in males so that male sex has been suggested to represent a sort of predictor of unresponsiveness to HBV vaccination [5]. In the case of HCV infection, the progression from chronic hepatitis C to cirrhosis is slower in females than males and the risk to develop HCC in female chronic carriers is significantly lower than in chronically infected male patients [10,21]. Moreover, females have been suggested to experience a higher rate of spontaneous HCV clearance than males [22]. As for HBV, also in the case of HCV the steroid hormones have been suggested to be possible players of the reported sex differences. It has been shown that treatment with E2 of HCV infected cell cultures reduced the production of HCV virions, probably inhibiting virus assembly /secretion, whereas E2 did not affect HCV RNA replication nor virus protein synthesis [23]. However, in the post-menopausal women, when estrogen levels decrease, these sex differences are mitigated and partially reversed.

Can gender predict virological response to standard antiviral therapy for chronic hepatitis C? A retrospective study

Hepatoma Research, 2016

The liver is a sexually dimorphic organ presenting gender differences in its metabolism, functions, enzyme activity, membrane lipid composition and immune response. This paper aimed to assess whether gender may predict virological response to standard antiviral therapy in subjects with chronic hepatitis C (CHC). Methods: The authors retrospectively analyzed 100 patients with genotype 1 CHC (55 men, 45 women), who performed standard antiviral therapy (interferon and ribavirin for 12 months) in the period 2002-2012, evaluated with blood tests and abdominal ultrasound to compare different virological and biochemical response in both gender. Results: Rate of substained virological response (SVR) was higher, but not significant, in women than men (46.7% vs. 34.5%, P = 0.05); difference became significant after stratification by age (< 50 and ≥ 50 years). Specifically in the group aged under 50 years, rate of SVR was significantly higher in women than in men (66.7% vs. 38.2%, P < 0.05). Conclusion: Female gender may predict virological response to standard antiviral therapy in subjects with CHC aged below 50 years. Considering new potent and more expensive antiviral drugs actually available for HCV treatment, it could be useful to identify candidates firstly eligible to therapy.

Gender-Specific Frequency Distribution of Hepatitis C Virus Genotypes in Punjab province, Pakistan: A Clinically Significant Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study

Cureus, 2021

Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is the major cause of liver cirrhosis, chronic liver disease, and hepatocellular carcinoma. More than 10 million individuals are living with HCV infection in Pakistan. Due to unawareness, very little information is known about HCV genotype occurrence in Punjab, the largest province of Pakistan. Identification of HCV genotype is very important for HCV treatment because different genotypes of HCV respond differently to antiviral therapy. Objective: The purpose of this research was to determine the distribution frequency of different HCV genotypes in the Punjab province and to demonstrate the distribution pattern of HCV genotypes in different age groups and sexes. Materials and Methods: In this study, we performed HCV genotyping of 3692 samples collected from different sites of the Punjab province, Pakistan. Among 3692 samples, 1755 (47.5%) were males and 1937 (52.4%) were females. Results: A total of 3692 samples were subjected to HCV genotyping and 2977 (81%) patients were genotyped successfully, whereas 715 (19%) patients were found to be HCV not detected. Our study demonstrated that among typeable genotypes, 3a constituted 2582 (69.9%) patients followed by 1a (n = 280) 7.5%, 1b (n = 64) 1.7%, 2a (n = 6) 0.16%, genotype 4 (n = 10) 0.27%, 3+4 (n = 2) 0.56%, 1a+2a (n = 11) 0.29%, 1b+2a (n = 1) 0.02%, 1a+1b (n = 1) 0.02%, and 1a+1b+3 (n = 1) 0.02% patients. HCV genotype distribution was evaluated gender wise and in different age groups like 0-12, 13-18, 19-59, and >60 years. All the HCV genotypes were equally distributed among men and women. The most affected age group was 19-59 years as compared to other age groups. Conclusion: The most frequently distributed HCV genotype in Punjab was found to be genotype 3a followed by genotype 1a, and only 0.94% of infected patients had a mixed genotype infection. Genotype 1a was found to be increasing significantly in the studied population. With these results, it can be assumed that genotype 3a may be replaced by genotype 1a with the passage of time. If this happens, this situation will be challenging in terms of antiviral therapy.

Study the Impact of Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Infection and the Risk Factor for Liver Dysfunction in Saudi Patients

Journal of Pure and Applied Microbiology, 2018

Human cytomegalovirus (CMV) as a member of the herpes virus family is one of the most common infecting viruses in humans. The prevalence of congenital CMV infection varies from 0.2% to 2% (). In developing countries, the reported prevalence of congenital CMV infection varies dramatically within and between populations, with some recorded prevalence ranged from 6.1% Study the Impact of Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Infection and the Risk Factor for Liver Dysfunction in Saudi Patients

Study of gender preference of hepatitis virus in suspected patients from Islamabad and Karachi (Southern and northern parts of Pakistan)

2018 15th International Bhurban Conference on Applied Sciences and Technology (IBCAST), 2018

In the developing countries including Pakistan, hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) cause serious health problems. A range of risk factors are responsible for this infectious disease's spread. This study was carried out to detect virus type in suspected patients from Islamabad and Karachi (Southern and Northern parts of Pakistan) and evaluate the viral association with gender. Identification of viral hepatitis type was done by real time PCR (Cepheid, USA). Association of Hepatitis viruses (Hepatitis B & C) infection with gender was analyzed, among suspected patients reported in a Local Hospital of Karachi and Islamabad. A total of 916 suspected patients were screened for Hepatitis B (n=282) and Hepatitis C (n=634). Total pervasiveness of Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C was found to be more common in male by percentage analysis but statistical analysis results differ from these. Further studies are needed to characterize HBV and HCV viruses, causes of their spread and...

Seropositivity of hepatitis viral markers in icteric children

Bangladesh Medical Journal, 2014

Viral hepatitis is a major public health problem in the world affecting millions of children every year despite the availability of vaccines, prophylactic measures and improved sanitation. The prevalence of infection varies from country to country and within countries, having a close association with behavioral, environmental, host factors. This study was an attempt to evaluate the sero-prevalence rate of various viral hepatitis markers of 50 icteric children who attended pediatric outpatient department of Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital from January 2010 to December 2010. All the patients were screened for HAV, HEV, HBV, HCV. Anti HAV IgM were positive in in 65.22 %, Anti HEV IgM in 34.78 % and HBsAg in 4% of icteric children. None of the icteric children were positive for hepatitis C virus. Most of the icteric children presented with fever, anorexia and nausea /vomiting. This study shows high rate of HAV and HEV infection among icteric children DOI: http://dx.doi.org/1...

Accuracy of serology IGM anti-CMV and clinical manifestations as an alternative diagnostic of cytomegalovirus neonatal hepatitis

2016

Background: Main problem in cytomegalovirus (CMV) neonatal hepatitis diagnostic approach in developing country is the lack of virology examination. Serology is the most affordable examinations. Methods: This cross-sectional study was done at Dr. Soetomo Hospital, December 2011-April 2012. Inclusion criteria were jaundice, hepatomegaly, elevated direct bilirubin >2 mg/dLif total bilirubin <5 mg/dLor >20% if total bilirubin >5 mg/dL, and elevated aminotransferases >1.5 normal within first 3 months. The immunocompromised patient was excluded. McNemar and Kappa analyzed statistics. Results: From 30 enrolled-patients, 12 subjects were positive PCR CMV. The AUC was 0.968 (95% confidence interval 0.915-1.020; p<0.0001). The cut-off of IgM anti-CMV with best sensitivity (sn) and specificity (sp) value was 0.8 (sn 100%, sp 83.3%), 1.0 (sn 91.7%, sp 88.9%), 1.1 (sn 83.3%, sp 88.9%), 1.2 (sn 83.3%, sp 88.9%), dan 1.3 (sn 83.3%, sp 94.4%). Conclusions: The anti-CMV IgM serolog...