Pakistan Journal of Nutrition

Volume 20 (3), 90-95, 2021


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Micronutrients in the Clinical Management of Hepatitis C Virus Infected Patients

Uche Chukwuemelie Z., Ufelle, Silas A., Onyekwelu, Kenechukwu C., Ene Lorreta N. and Ezeh Richard C.

Background and Objective: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a blood borne virus. Various nutrients have been identified to be associated with suppression or promotion of HCV proliferation. This research aimed to assess the dietary quality and the micronutrient status of patients infected with hepatitis C virus. Materials and Methods: A total of 130 patients diagnosed with hepatitis C who attended outpatient clinic at University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital and 120 healthy control subjects were recruited for this study. A 24 h dietary recall was obtained using a well-structured questionnaire; serum levels of zinc and iron were measured in the HCV patients and control subjects. Results: The result showed that less than 50% of the study sample consumed fruits, vegetables, meat/fish/egg and milk/dairy products. The plasma zinc level was below the optimal range in 94 (72.3%), within the optimal range in 31 (23.8%) and above the optimal range in 5 (3.8%) patients. A significant decrease in total iron and transferrin saturation levels and a significant increase in total iron binding capacity (TIBC), ferritin and transferrin levels was observed in the infected male and female patients when compared with the control subjects. Conclusion: Reduction in the dietary iron intake and consuming high amount of foods rich in zinc along with conventional therapies should be encouraged as diet alone could not supply all the required amount of zinc to HCV patients.

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How to cite this article:

Uche Chukwuemelie Z., Ufelle, Silas A., Onyekwelu, Kenechukwu C., Ene Lorreta N. and Ezeh Richard C., 2021. Micronutrients in the Clinical Management of Hepatitis C Virus Infected Patients. Pakistan Journal of Nutrition, 20: 90-95.


DOI: 10.3923/pjn.2021.90.95
URL: https://ansinet.com/abstract.php?doi=pjn.2021.90.95

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