VARIATION IN HAEMATOLOGICAL PARAMETERS IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC HEPATITIS B AND HEPATITIS C IN LIBYA

Kamal E. Alshebani, Jbireal J. M., Fawzia Shawesh and Altayeb Elazomi*

ABSTRACT

Chronic viral hepatitis is an important health problem in the world, where hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections are the main causes of liver insufficiency. This study was a comparative case control study. It aimed to assess the variations in haematological parameters in patients infected with HCV and HBV viruses in the western region of Libya. A total of 120 blood samples from patients with chronic viral hepatitis were collected; 60 with HCV and 60 with HBV infection. Twenty healthy individuals were included as a control group. Out of the 60 patients with HBV, 43 (36%) were males and 17 (14%) were females, while 38 (32%) patients with HCV were males and 22 (18%) were females. The mean age for HBV patients was 36.9 ± 15.8 years and for HCV patients the mean was 39.9 ±14.2 year. Though the mean concentration and count of haematological profile (total white blood cell count and haemoglobin estimation of infected patients), showed low significant difference in HCV patients (WBC 5.98 ± 0.29 cell/mm3, Hb 12.96 ± 0.20g/dl) as compared with control group (WBC 7.48 ± 0.42 cell /mm3, Hb 13.75 ± 0.30g/dl) with P value 0.027 and 0.005, respectively. However, there was no significant difference between HBV patients and control group regarding haemoglobin concentration. Additionally, platelets count revealed low significant difference in HCV and HBV patients (193.2 ± 9.73 ×10(9)/L) (177.2 ± 6.57×10(9)/L), respectively, in comparison with control group (242.0 ± 13.53×10(9)/L, P value (0.001)). In conclusion, there were significant difference in haematological profile.

Keywords: Viral hepatitis, haematological profile, Libyan’s patients.