PREVALENCE OF THROMBOCYTOPENIA IN HEPATITIS B AND HEPATITIS C PATIENTS.

Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of thrombocytopenia in Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C  Patients           

Study Design: This is an observational study.

Setting: Study carried out at Medicine department Baqai University hospital Karachi, from Jan 2020 to Dec 2020. Material & Method:  200 Participants of the study included patients with active hepatitis B or hepatitis C infection visiting OPD of the hospital. We recorded liver function tests and platelet count from the patient’s laboratory reports. In this study, they defined thrombocytopenia as platelet counts below 150,000/μl. Those patients on immunosuppressive therapy, splenomegaly, ascites, esophagyal varices and cirrhosis were excluded. Chronic hepatitis C was diagnosed on the basis of molecular assay by qualitative RT-PCR. The diagnosis of chronic active hepatitis B was made on positive HBs Ag for more than six months.

Results: We received 104(52%) patients were male and 96(48%) patients were female with mean age 49.64±9.03 years. We found mostly patients were affected by Hepatitis C 168(84%) cases, followed by Hepatitis B in16(8%) and combined infection in 16(8%). We found thrombocytopenia in a long duration of infection; 92 (46%) cases were 1 to 3 years. We observed thrombocytopenia in 72(36%) cases and mostly affected by hepatitis C. 

Conclusion: We conclude that the prevalence of thrombocytopenia in patients with chronic HCV infection is more than the chronic HBV infected patients but in patients where both the infections are present the percentage of the thrombocytopenia is same as that of chronic HBV infected patient alone.

Key Words: Thrombocytopenia, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C