2024 Volume 73 Issue 4 Pages 652-660
This study aimed to identify essential factors for the early detection of asymptomatic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection among patients visiting university hospitals. This initiative seeks to enhance the testing rates and efficacy of HCV antibody tests for individuals who have yet to undergo the same. This research employed a single-center cross-sectional design. After excluding patients based on the exclusion criteria, the final analysis included 6,945 patients. Data on sex, age, inpatient–outpatient classification, blood test results and medical history were extracted from the electronic medical records from Osaka University Hospital. Blood tests served as routine admission and pre-surgery test for patients. Basic statistics were used to analyze the data collected from patients with asymptomatic HCV infection and those with negative HCV antibody tests after which statistical comparisons between the groups were conducted. Uni- and multivariable binary logistic regression models were used to identify variables independently associated with HCV ribonucleic acid (HCVRNA) detection. Explanatory variables included sex, age, inpatient–outpatient classification, blood test data, and medical history. Significant differences were found between the parameters of the two groups, except for sex, inpatient–outpatient classification, chloride, creatinine, and C-reactive protein. Factors associated with asymptomatic HCV infection included older age, outpatient, the decrease in platelet counts and albumin, as well as the increase in total protein based on blood test results. Therefore, older age, outpatient, the decrease in platelet counts and albumin and the increase in total protein may be associated with asymptomatic HCV infection among patients attending the university hospital.
