Tehran University Medical Journal

Background: Hepatitis type C virus (HCV) is one of the important threatened infectious blood born viruses in different populations. More than 300 million people were suffered form different HCV clinical complications all around the world. It is estimated that only 20% of HCV infected individuals will recover from this viral infection, while the rest become chronically infected. The majority of chronically infected individuals never exhibit symptoms, but approximately 10-/30% of these patients will eventually develop severe liver complications. In this research the prevalence of HCV Ab and the role of some demographic data in HCV incidence and clinical outcomes were determined.

Methods: In this retrospective study 11472 blood samples from, Iranian blood donors, Shahrekord city were collected for one year. The frequency of HCV Ab was analyzed with a third generation EIA method. The statistical relationships of different possible risk factors of HCV infection were analyzed by Instat software.

Results: The HCV Ab was diagnosed in 69 of 11472 (0.6%) serum samples. Significant correlations were detected between the history of HCV infection with marriage, tattooing, and doubtful sexual contact. Significant relationships were not defined between HCV infection with age, history of liver disease, and record of travel to abroad.

Conclusions: Significant relationships were find between HCV infection with marital status, history of tattooing and sexual contact, but significant correlations were not find between HCV infections with sex, history of liver disease and traveling to other countries.