چکیده (انگلیسی):

Background/aim: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a worldwide health issue with
about 3% of the world’s population having HCV. In Saudi Arabia, prevalence ranges from
1.0% to 5.87%. Cutaneous diseases can indicate the presence of HCV infection.
Objectives: The research project aims to identify prospectively the prevalence of HCV infection
in 200 patients with various types of skin disorders and 50 healthy blood donors, and to quantify
this association through clinical and laboratory investigations.
Methods: Two hundred patients with cutaneous manifestations who presented at the Dermatology
outpatient clinics of King Khalid University Hospital (KKUH) and King Abdulaziz University
Hospital (KAUH), Riyadh, and 50 healthy blood donors were prospectively studied. Patients were
examined by a team of dermatologists and clinical data were collected through a standard questionnaire.
Ten milliliters of venous blood were collected from fully consented, 8–10 h fasting patients
and serum was analyzed for AST, ALT, double infection with HBsAg, anti-HCV antibodies, and
screened for HCV-RNA-PCR.
Results: Patients from the study (n= 200) consisted of 25 (12.5%) males and 175 (87.5%)
females, with a mean age of 42.9 ±15.06 years. Clinical examinations revealed that (35%) had urticaria,
followed by pruritus (28%), lichen planus (25.5%), prurigo (10%), and palpable purpura
(1.5%). The main serum levels of ALT and AST were within the normal reference ranges.
Twenty-four patients (12%) tested positive for anti-HCV antibodies, with 15 (62.5%) being positive
for the presence of HCV-RNA by PCR and 9 (37.5%) resulting negative for the viral RNA. Of the 24 anti-HCV positive patients, pruritus 12 (50%), urticaria 5 (20.8%), lichen planus 5(20.8%), and
palpable purpura 2(8.3%). Five (2.5%) patients were positive for HBsAg, with 3 (60%) having
pruritus and 2 (40%) presenting with urticaria. Of the 50 healthy blood donors, only one (2%)
tested positive for the presence of anti-HCV antibodies, and all the donors tested negative for
HBsAg.
Conclusion: Results clearly indicate the prevalence of anti-HCV antibodies in 24 out of 200
patients (12%) with skin manifestations seen at the dermatology outpatient clinics and documented
with HCV-RNA-PCR positivity of 15/24 (62.5%). A p-value of <0.05 was considered significant,
therefore, it is suggested that patients presenting with urticaria, pruritus and LP be investigated to
exclude the possibility of HCV infection.