BLOOD TRACE ELEMENT (ZINC) ESTIMATION IN PATIENTS OF VIRAL HEPATITIS C, LIVER CIRRHOSIS AND HEPATOCELLULAR CARCINOMA IN TERTIARY CARE HOSPITALS OF PESHAWAR

JPUMHS;2024:14:01,70-76. http://doi.org/10.46536/jpumhs/2024/14.01.497

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Recent years have shown a significant prevalence of liver ailments in Pakistan, particularly in

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Therefore, our aim is to investigate the relationship between blood trace elements and

cirrhosis, hepatocellular cancer, and the Hepatitis C virus. Primary objective of this study is to explore blood zinc

levels in patients with hepatitis C, liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. METHODS: The Khyber

Teaching Hospital (KTH) and other partners collaborated with Lady Reading Tertiary Hospital to undertake this

two-year descriptive cross-sectional study. For this research we selected 90 patients having cirrhosis,

hepatocellular carcinoma or chronic hepatitis C. We equally divided our participants into 3 groups. Group I was

allocated to patients with hepatitis C virus, group II had cirrhosis patients and group III consisted of hepatocellular

carcinoma cases. Results were analyzed by using SPSS version 24. ANOVA test was applied. Significance level

was set as p< 0.05. RESULTS: Comparison of zinc trace element between the three groups reported significant

statistical differences. We observed a high ratio of zinc in Hepatitis C patients whereas a low level of zinc was

found among the cirrhosis and HCC patients. Regarding age, we only found a significant relationship between the

adult age group (41-50 years) with the blood zinc levels. CONCLUSION: Zinc plays an anti-cancerous role for

cirrhosis, HCC, and HCV. Our study concluded that the reduction in the zinc element triggered many liver

complications. Hepatitis C virus becomes more active when the zinc ratio increases.