| Abstract: | AIM:To investigate hepatitis C virus (HCV) seroprevalence in Tunisian patients with diabetes mellitus and in a control group.METHODS:A crosssectional study was conducted to determine the HCV seroprevalence in 1269 patients with diabetes (452 male,817 female) and 1315 non diabetic patients,attending health centers in Sousse,Tunisia.HCV screening was performed in both groups using a fourthgeneration enzyme immunoassay.RESULTS:In the diabetic group,17 (1.3%) were found to be HCVinfected compared with eight (0.6%) in the control group,although the difference was not significant (P=0.057).Quantitative PCR was performed in 20 patients.Eleven patients were positive and showed HCV genotype 1b in all cases.CONCLUSION:Frequency of HCV antibodies was low in patients with diabetes and in the control group in central Tunisia,with no significant difference between the groups. |
