Hepatitis B Frequency (Seropositivity) in the Patients of Chronic Liver Disease in Balochistan

Aims: To document the prevalence of Hepatitis B Seropositivity in patients with Chronic Liver Disease from all parts and every walk of life in Balochistan and to provide a base for further studies on a large scale of a large sample size. Methods this was single centre randomized trial having no control group. Serum samples were collected in The "National Program For Hepatitis and Gastroenterology and Surgery Departments of Bolan Medical Complex Hospital Quetta during the period from April 2008 to January 2009. HBsAg was detected by Elisa Third Generation from Agha khan university Hospital Karachi, and Shoukat khanum Hospital Lahore. A Total 1054 Patients were included in this study who belonged to every walk of life in Balochistan in which 554(52.56%) were males and 500(47.43%) were females. Results: Out of 1054 patients of the chronic liver disease, total of 255 (24.19%) tested positive for HBsAg including 150 males (27.07%) and 105 (21%) were females in the patients of chronic liver disease. The sero prevalence of HBsAg in the patients of chronic liver disease in male and female patients is the same as published in the national and international literature. The Majority of the patients had no idea about the vaccination, causative factors, preventing measures, treatment and complications, Which Indicates a very pathetic situation of hepatitis patients in Balochistan. Conclusion: The seroprevalence of HBsAg in the patients of chronic liver disease is some what high among the male patients approached our centre for the proper workup of Chronic Liver disease which is not statistically significant. And is quite comparable to the frequency of HBsAg in patients of chronic liver disease in different parts of the country and as well as in the international world.