COMPARISON OF THROMBOCYTOPENIA IN CHRONIC HEPATITIS C PATIENTS WITH AND WITHOUT CIRRHOSIS

Abstract

Background: Thrombocytopenia may be one of the manifestation of chronic hepatitis infection. Objective: To assess
thrombocytopenia in patients with chronic hepatitis C with and without cirrhosis. Methodology: Study Design: Cross Sectional
study: Place and Duration: Department of Gastroenterology at Sheikh Zayed Hospital Lahore from 1st January 2009 to 28th
February 2010. One hundred known patients of HCV in which 64 male and 36 were females with chronic hepatitis C confirmed
HCV (RNA) positive. Among these fifty had chronic hepatitis C with cirrhosis, 50 without cirrhosis and 30 normal HCV negative
individuals for comparison. All patients were analyzed for Hemoglobin, total leukocyte count and platelet count and ultrasound
findings of with imaging for liver cirrhosis. Data was analyzed in statistical program SPSS version 16.0. Results: The results of
this study have shown that there was a significant difference of mean platelets count. Platelets of patients with cirrhosis have mean
platelets 88.25±25.39 with mean age 50.33, mean platelets of patients with chronic hepatitis C without cirrhosis have
142.68±50.69 with mean age 40.93 and mean platelets of control group was 265.30±34.55 (P-<.001) with mean age 39.07 years.
Conclusion: Our study suggested that chronic hepatitis C is associated with thrombocytopenia. As the disease advances, the
platelet count significantly decreases.