Seroprevalence and risk factors of hepatitis B and C viruses among diabetes mellitus patients in Duhok province, Iraqi Kurdistan.

Context: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections are major public health issues as they may progress into chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Aims: to identify the prevalence and risk factors of HBV and HCV among diabetic patients in Duhok province.

Patients and Methods: It is a prospective study conducted in Shilan private hospital from June 2016 until December 2018. The serum of all diabetic patients was investigated by Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) to detect HBsAg and anti-HCV. Diabetes mellitus (DM) was diagnosed according to American Diabetes Association (ADA). The results were analyzed by entering the data in Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS).

Results: Three hundred seventy five DM patients were included in this study. The mean age of the patients was 54.38 ± 9.23, and the majority was female patients (65.87%). Out of 375 patients, 8 cases (2.13%) were HBV and 2 cases (0.53%) were HCV. Considering risk factors associated with HBV and HCV infections among diabetic patients, alcoholism was associated with both infections. Hemodialysis was a risk factor for HCV infection among diabetic patients but it was not associated with HBV.

Conclusions: Although prevalence of HBV and HCV is higher among diabetic patients, its prevalence is low in comparison to other studies. It is recommended to screen HBsAg and anti-HCV in all alcoholic diabetic patients. Hemodialysis remains a significant risk factor for HCV transmission among diabetic patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD).