ArticleIranian journal of microbiology2026
High prevalence of seronegative occult hepatitis C in high-risk individuals.
Article in Iranian journal of microbiology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
Background and Objectives: Routine screening for occult hepatitis C virus (OHCV) is not a standard procedure in medical laboratories, which has resulted in an increased incidence of OHCV among high-risk groups and the general population. The objective of this study was to investigate the molecular epidemiology of (OHCV) in Iranian injecting drug users (IDUs). Materials and Methods: To determine chronic hepatitis C virus(HCV) and OHCV, plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) were collected from 103 (96 (93.2%) males, 7 (6.79%) females) IDUs. Their plasma was tested for Anti-HCV (ELISA). Following RNA extraction from plasma and PBMCs, RT-nested PCR was employed to amplify the 5' untranslated region (5'UTR) and core regions of the HCV genome in plasma and PBMCs from IDUs. Sequencing of the 5'UTR and core regions, along with phylogenetic tree construction, was used to determine HCV genotypes. Results: Among the 103 individuals, 12/96 males (12.5%) were positive for both anti-HCV and HCV RNA in plasma, indicating chronic HCV infection. In addition, 18/96 males (18.75%) and 1/7 females (14.28%) were positive for anti-HCV but negative for HCV RNA, indicating evidence of past HCV infection (p = 0.1). Furthermore, 5 individuals, including 4/94 males (4.1%) and 1/7 females (14.28%), were found to be seropositive for HCV (p = 0.77). Meanwhile, 23/103 individuals (22.33%), including 20/96 males (20.8%) and 3/7 females (42.85%), were seronegative for HCV (p = 0.37). HCV genotype 1a was the dominant genotype among IDUs. Conclusion: In conclusion, a high prevalence of HCV infection was observed among IDUs, underscoring the pressing necessity for the implementation of an efficacious strategy to eradicate HCV transmission in this high-risk population.
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