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. Suez Canal University Medical Journal, 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". Suez Canal University Medical Journal, 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', Suez Canal University Medical Journal, 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. Suez Canal University Medical Journal, 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
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.
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