Association between Schistosomiasis mansoni and hepatitis C: systematic review

OBJECTIVE: To perform a systematic review of the prevalence of the HCV/ S. mansoni co-infection and associated factors in Schistosoma mansoni -infected populations. METHODS: The bibliographic search was carried out using the Medline, Lilacs, SciELO, Cochrane Library and Ibecs databases. The criteria for the studies' selection and the extraction data were based on systematic review methods. Forty five studies were found, with nine being excluded in a first screening. Thirteen articles were used for data extraction. RESULTS: The HCV infection rates in schistosomiasis populations range from 1% in Ethiopia to 50% in Egypt. Several studies had poorly defined methodologies, even in areas characterized by an association between hepatitis C and schistosomiasis, such as Brazil and Egypt, which meant conclusions were inconsistent. HCV infection rates in schistosomotic populations were heterogeneous and risk factors for acquiring the virus varied widely. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the limitations, this review may help to identify regions with higher rates of hepatitis C and schistosomiasis association. However, more studies are necessary for the development of public health policies on prevention and control of both diseases.

研究目的：针对曼氏血吸虫（Schistosoma mansoni）感染人群中丙型肝炎病毒（HCV）与曼氏血吸虫合并感染的流行率及其相关影响因素开展系统综述。研究方法：本研究通过Medline、Lilacs、SciELO、Cochrane Library及Ibecs数据库进行文献检索，文献筛选标准与数据提取流程均遵循系统综述研究方法规范。本次检索共获取45项相关研究，初筛阶段排除9项，最终纳入13篇文献用于数据提取。研究结果：血吸虫感染人群的HCV感染率范围为埃塞俄比亚的1%至埃及的50%。部分研究（即便在巴西、埃及这类已明确存在丙肝与血吸虫病关联的地区）的方法学描述存在明显缺陷，导致研究结论缺乏一致性。血吸虫感染人群的HCV感染率呈现异质性特征，且该病毒的感染风险因素也存在显著差异。研究结论：尽管存在上述局限性，本系统综述仍有助于识别丙肝与血吸虫病合并感染率较高的区域。不过，未来仍需开展更多相关研究，以支撑两类疾病的预防与控制公共卫生政策制定。