Vitiligo is a common skin disorder, characterized by depigmented patches due to selective destruction of melanocytes. The etiology of this disease is unknown. A number of hypotheses including viral theory have been proposed to explain the etiology. To determine the prevalence of antibody to HEPATITIS C virus infection in vitiligo patients, the present study was performed. Third generation ELISA test was used for detection of ANTIBODIES to HCV in human sera. All normal controls were anti-HCV negative whereas only one patient was positive for anti-HCV and there was no significant difference in the prevalence of anti-HCV between patients and controls. These results indicate that HEPATITIS C virus has not a direct causal role in the pathogenesis of vitiligo, however, this does not rul out a "hit and run" virus induced disease.

Background: Superinfection of HEPATITIS A in chronic HEPATITIS B and C may worsen the course of disease. This study attempted to study frequency of HEPATITIS A virus ANTIBODIES in patients with HEPATITIS B and HEPATITIS C. Materials and methods: 115 HEPATITIS C and 56 HEPATITIS B patients who visited the HEPATITIS Association of Hamedan province during 2004-2005 were enrolled. HEPATITIS A virus ANTIBODIES (IgM, IgG) by ELISA, WBC, hemoglobin, platelet, AST and ALT were evaluated. Results: 32 patients with HEPATITIS B and 39 patients with HEPATITIS C refused the study. In 71 (85.5%) patients with HEPATITIS B, IgG-HAV-Ab and in one patient IgM-HAV-Ab was detected. 36 (92.3%) patients with HEPATITIS C had IgG-anti-HAV. Conclusion: Due to high frequency of HAV Ab, it is preferable to evaluate patients with HEPATITIS B and C for HAV-Ab instead of vaccination of all patients.

The transfusion transmitted infections are potentially dangerous complications of transfusion therapy in immunocompromised patients. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of transmissible infections in blood donor population in Kashan, Iran. A total of 600 consecutive sera were tested for CMV-IgM antibody, HBsAg, HEPATITIS B core (HBc) antibody, HEPATITIS C (HCV) antibody, and HIV antibody with standard methods. Of the sera tested, 14 specimens (2.3%) were CMV-IgM positive. The frequency of seropositive revealed no significant differences between male and female donors. The frequency rates of CMV-IgM seropositive tests tend to decline with increasing the age. There was no relation between the frequency rates of CMV-IgM seropositive with the educational level, socioeconomic status, marital status, urban dweller and rural resident patients. The prevalence of HBV, HCV, and HIV antibody was 0.5%, 0.5%, and 0%, respectively. These findings implied important clinical applications because detection of CMV positive sera may reduce the risk for transmission of CMV in blood transfusion and thereby decrease the risk on CMV-induced complications.

HEPATITIS C virus (HCV) infection has been associated with a plethora of immune and autoimmune perturbations. A variety of conditions ranging from endocrinopathies to different skin diseases has been described in HCV infection. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and clinical significance of HCV infection in patients with graves’ disease (GD). A total of 55 patients with GD (30 women, 25 men, mean age: 35.24 ± 12.27 years) and 50 control subjects (28 women, 22 men, mean age: 33.34 ± 11.99 years) were examined. Third generation ELISA test was used for detection of ANTIBODIES to HCV in human sera, and anti-HCV seropositivity was confirmed by recombinant immunoblot assay (RIBA).All normal controls were anti-HCV negative whereas anti-HCV antibody was present in 1 patient with GD and confirmed by Western blotting. These results indicate that there was no significant difference of anti-HCV ANTIBODIES between patients and controls.In this study no relationship was found between GD and HCV infection, which imply that HEPATITIS C virus has not a direct causal role in the pathogenesis of GD, however, this does not rule out a “hit and run” virus induced disease.

Background and Objectives: Although recent screening policies have markedly decreased the incidence of HCV infection in transfusion dependent thalassemia paitients, this problem is still one of the most important causes of mortality and morbidity in thalassemic patients.Materials and Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted on 206 thalassemia patients referred to the Shahid Bahonar Hospital during 2009-2010.Serum specimens were tested with anti-HCV assay and RIBA-II technique to asses HCV infection.Statistical analysis was done with SPSS18 (I 2 and T-test).Results: The overall prevalence rate of anti-HCV was 15% (11 male, 20 female). Moreover 29 anti- HCV positive patients were RIBA-II positive (11 male, 18 female). All HCV affected patients but one had received their first transfusion before 1996 when HCV screening had became mandatory.Conclusions: HCV infection rate compared with the general population is higher in multi transfused thalassemia patients. Out of HCV infected thalassemias, 80% are at risk of developing chronic liver diseases and fibrosis; thus preventive measures such as blood donor screening for anti-HCV and stringent infection control procedures are crucial steps to be implemented for HCV prevention.

Background: The clinical significance of antiphospholipid ANTIBODIES in patients with chronic HEPATITIS C virus (HCV) and some other viral infections is controversial. Objective: To study the prevalence of anticardiolipin antibody (ACLA) and antibeta2glycoproteinI antibody (antibeta2 GPI antibody) in HCV and HEPATITIS B virus (HBV) infected patients and its association with liver clinical parameters. Methods: Serum levels of ACLA, antibeta2GPI antibody as well as platelet count, ALT (alanine transaminase), PT (prothrombine time), disease duration and liver histologic findings of 38 patients with HBV and 15 patients with HCV infections were compared with those of 58 healthy controls. Results: Serum titres of ACLA in HCV and HBV patients (13.4 ±7.1 GPL units/ml), and in each of the HCV (15.18±9.91 GPL units/ml) and HBV (12.7 ± 5.7 GPL units/ml) patients were significantly higher than that of the control group (3.4±2.3GPL units/ml). However, there was no significant difference in serum levels of antibeta2 GPI antibody from patients with HCV and HBV (3.3 ± 1.3 GPL units/ml) or HCV alone (2.79 ± 1.01 GPL units/ml) or HBV alone (3.4±1.3GPL units/ml) and that of the control group (3.3±1.1GPL units/ml). Conclusion: The findings suggest that the presence of ACLA has no pathologic significance in patients with HBV and HCV infections.

Background: Thalassemic patients are one of the high-risk groups of HEPATITIS C virus (HCV) and human Immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. The study of HCV and HIV seroprevalence and some qualitative risk factors in this target group can be valuable for prevention of the infection. Methods & Material: This study was undertaken in the year 1999 to determine the prevalence of HCV and HIV infection among thalassemic patients in Shiraz, Southern Iran. A total of 147 patients (55.1% males, and 44.9% females with mean age of 13.62%±4.82 year) who received multiple blood transfusions were screened for HCV and HIV by ELISA-II method in Dastgheib Hospital in Shiraz, Southern Iran. Results: Forty of 147 subjects (27.2%) were positive for antibody to HEPATITIS C virus (anti-HCV). No antibody to HIV virus was detected in any of the subjects. Jaundice was observed in 13.6% of HCV seropositive patients. The duration and interval of blood transfusion did not reach the level of statistical significance when HCV seropositive subjects were compared with seronegative ones. Serum protein, albumin, SGOT and SGPT were significantly higher in HCV positive patients but this difference was not significant for alkaline phosphates and bilirubin. Conclusion: Routine screening of blood donors with markedly decreases the incidence of transfusion infections due to HCV and HIV among recipients.