1,2,3Maktep, Y, D., 1,2Egah, D. Z., and 1Nimzing, L.
¹Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Clinical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of Jos, PMB 2084 Jos, Nigeria
²Department of Medical Microbiology, Jos University Teaching Hospital, Jos, Nigeria
³Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, College of Health Sciences, Bingham University, Jos Campus, Nigeria
*Correspondence to: yadangmaktep@gmail.com
Abstract
Background: Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major cause of chronic liver disease worldwide and remains a significant contributor to liver-related morbidity and mortality. Hepatic fibrosis is the key determinant of long-term clinical outcomes. Although viral replication is central to HCV pathogenesis, the association between serum HCV load and the severity of hepatic fibrosis remain controversial. The objective of this study is to evaluate the relationship between serum HCV load and hepatic fibrosis severity, using Transient Elastography (FibroScan), among patients with chronic HCV infection.
Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study with longitudinal follow up of confirmed cases was conducted among 40 adults with confirmed chronic HCV infection (HCV-RNA positive). Serum viral load was quantified using real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (rt RT-PCR) assay. Hepatic fibrosis was assessed noninvasively using FibroScan, and liver stiffness measurements (LSM) were categorized according to METAVIRequivalent cut-offs of F0 (<5.5 kPa), F1 (5.5–7.0 kPa), F2 (7.1–9.5 kPa), F3 (9.6–12.5 kPa), and F4 (>12.5 kPa). Spearman’s correlation coefficient was used to determine the association between viral load and fibrosis severity as the data deviated significantly from the normality.
Results: The mean age of participants was 56.10±15.73 years with a male-to-female ratio of 4:1. Liver stiffness values ranged from 4.7 to 35.8 kPa, while serum viral load varied widely (20,100 to 680,000 IU/mL). Most participants had early-stage fibrosis (F0–F1, 70%). A weak positive correlation was observed between serum viral load and liver stiffness measurements (r=0.139), that was not statistically significant (p=0.391).
Conclusion: Serum HCV load showed no significant association with hepatic fibrosis severity. These findings indicate that viral load alone is a poor predictor of fibrosis progression and underscore the clinical value of Transient Elastography for routine assessment of liver disease in patients with chronic HCV infection.
Keywords: HCV, viral load, hepatic fibrosis, FibroScan
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