PREVALENCE OF HEPATITIS C VIRUS IN PATIENTS WITH RELAPSING REMITTING MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS

Abstract

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune\xa0illness of the central nervous system and is considered the most\xa0common non-traumatic cause of neurological disability in middle age,\xa0Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is endemic in our country and Egypt is the\xa0most affected nation by HCV worldwide, this study is an educational\xa0hospital based study.Aim of the Work: To determine prevalence of HCV in patients\xa0having relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS).Patients and Methods: Two hundred and three Egyptian patients\xa0with the diagnosis of RRMS were recruited consecutively from MS\xa0Unit of Neurology department at Ain Shams University Hospital\xa0which is the biggest MS unit in Egypt, Cross sectional pilot study.\xa0Patients’ medical history, general and neurological examination\xa0including assessment of the functional disability using Expended\xa0Disability Status Scale (EDSS) were obtained along 6 months and\xa0were followed for 1 year and all subjects underwent serum sampling\xa0for detection of the HCV antibody by enzyme linked immunosorbent\xa0assay(ELISA) technique and confirmed diagnosis by polymerase chain\xa0reaction(PCR).\xa0Results: Data showed that prevalence of HCV among studied\xa0patients with RRMS was 4.9% (no. 10 from 203), however prevalence\xa0of HCV in Egypt is 10.6%, it may be due to gender predilection which\xa0is nearly 2:1 male to female in HCV versus 1:2.57 in MS patients,\xa0Conclusion: HCV is less prevalent in MS patients than general\xa0population and patients with HCV have more active disease regardingrelapses and magnetic resonant imaging (MRI) activity.