Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) Infection among Sickle Cell Disease Patients at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital
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Date
2019-07
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Publisher
University of Ghana
Abstract
Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a leading cause of chronic liver disease
among sickle cell disease (SCD) patients. Disease progression has been implicated with
circulating genotypes of HCV. Determination of RNA and genotypes of HCV in sickle cell
disease patients may give an indication of their contribution to the observed clinical
manifestations and disease progression which will inform appropriate clinical management.
Aim: This study sought to identify and characterize HCV in sickle cell disease patients.
Methods: This was a cross-sectional study which enrolled 142 sickle-cell patients from the
Ghana Institute for Clinical Genetics, Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital. Patient information was
obtained through a questionnaire and 3/mls of whole blood was collected. The plasma
obtained was screened by serology and the viral nucleic acid extracted was amplified by
reverse transcriptase- polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), with primers targeting the
HCV core gene. Amplified DNA were purified and sequenced. Sequenced products were
purified and put into the genetic analyzer for analysis. HCV genotypes were obtained by
phylogenetic analysis.
Results: A total number of 142 SCD patients were recruited in this study with majority of
them being females (64%). The median age was 25 years. Seventy-two (51%) had been
transfused. Out of the 142 patients’ samples collected 12 (9%) were sero-positive for anti-
HCV total antibodies. HCV RNA was amplified from 8 (6%) out of the 142 patients’
samples. One of the 12 seropositives was HCV RNA positive. Five (63%) out of the HCV
RNA positive samples were successfully sequenced. The phylogenetic tree constructed with GenBank reference sequences, clustered all five sequences from our study into
genotype 1, specifically 1b.
Conclusion: This study established the seroprevalence of 9% of total antibodies to HCV
among sickle cell patients whilst circulating HCV among the study population were found
to be genotype 1 strain.
Description
MPhil. Medical Chemistry
Keywords
Hepatitis C Virus, Sickle Cell Disease, Genotype, Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital