Occult hepatitis C virus infection in the Middle East and Eastern Mediterranean countries: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Table 1 Selected studies for systematic review and meta-analysis of occult hepatitis C virus infection prevalence in the Middle Eastern countries and Eastern Mediterranean Region

Ref.	Years of data collection	Country	Population	Serostatus	HCV RNA detection method	Sample size	OCI
							Number	Percent
Makvandi et al[21], 2014	2011-2012	Iran	Patients with unexplained abnormal ALT	Seronegative	Is-nested PCR	53	17	32.08
Zaghloul et al[22], 2010	2010	Egypt	(1) Patients with unexplained abnormal ALT and AST; (2) Patients with chronic hepatitis C who achieved SVR	Seronegative/seropositive	rRT-PCR	102	11	10.78
El Shazly et al[23], 2015	2014	Egypt	Healthy sexual partners of patients with HCV infection	Seronegative	rRT-PCR	50	2	4.00
Bozkurt et al[74], 2014	?	Turkey	Hemodialysis patients	Seronegative	rRT-PCR	84	3	3.57
Mohamed et al[25], 2017	2017	Egypt	Hemodialysis patients	Seronegative	RT-PCR	60	2	3.33
Donyavi et al[26], 2019	2015-2018	Iran	HIV positive injecting drug users	Seronegative/seropositive	RT-nested PCR	77	14	18.18
Ayadi et al[27], 2019	2017-2018	Iran	Hemodialysis patients	Seronegative	RT-nested PCR	515	95	18.45
El-Rehewy et al[29], 2015	2012-2014	Egypt	Hemodialysis patients	Seronegative	rRT-PCR	75	8	10.67
Sheikh et al[31], 2019	2017-2018	Iran	Injecting drug users(negative for HIV)	Seronegative/seropositive	RT-nested PCR	115	11	9.57
Jamshidi et al[33], 2020	2015-2019	Iran	HIV positive patients	Seronegative/seropositive	RT-nested PCR	143	14	9.79
Abd Alla et al[35], 2017	2015-2017	Egypt	(1) Patients with chronic hepatitis C; (2) Healthy individuals	Seronegative/seropositive	RT-nested PCR	174	41	23.56
Ramezani et al[16], 2014	2014	Iran	Hemodialysis patients	Seronegative/seropositive	RT-nested PCR	30	0	0.00
Muazzam et al[17], 2011	2007-2009	Pakistan	Patients with chronic hepatitis C who achieved SVR	Seronegative	rRT-PCR	104	0	0.00
Naghdi et al[36], 2017	2017	Iran	Hemodialysis patients	Seronegative	RT-nested PCR	198	6	3.03
Abdelrahim et al[38], 2016	2013-2014	Egypt	Hemodialysis patients	Seronegative	rRT-PCR	81	3	3.70
Ali et al[39], 2018	2014	Egypt	Hemodialysis patients	Seronegative	rRT-PCR	39	9	23.08
Keyvani et al[41], 2013	2007-2013	Iran	Patients with cryptogenic cirrhosis	Seronegative	RT-nested PCR	45	4	8.89
Serwah et al[42], 2014	2013-2014	Saudi Arabia	Hemodialysis patients	Seronegative	rRT-PCR	84	12	14.29
El-shishtawy et al[43], 2015	2015	Egypt	(1) Hemodialysis patients; (2) Healthy volunteers	Seronegative	Strand-specific RT-PCR	63	8	12.70
Nafari et al[44], 2020	2017-2018	Iran	Hemophilia patients	Seronegative	RT-nested PCR	450	46	10.22
Eslamifar et al[71], 2015	2013	Iran	Hemodialysis patients	Seronegative	RT-nested PCR	70	0	0.00
Bokharaei-Salim et al[46], 2011	2007-2010	Iran	Patients with cryptogenic liver disease	Seronegative	RT-nested PCR	69	7	10.14
Rezaee Zavareh et al[47], 2014	2012-2013	Iran	Patients with autoimmune hepatitis	Seronegative	RT-nested PCR	35	0	0.00
Ayadi et al[48], 2019	2017-2018	Iran	Thalassemia patients	Seronegative	RT-nested PCR	181	6	3.31
Mekky et al[50], 2019	2017	Egypt	Patients with chronic hepatitis C who achieved SVR	Seropositive	rRT-PCR	1280	50	3.91
El-Moselhy et al[51], 2015	2014-2015	Egypt	Hemodialysis patients	Unknown	RT-PCR/RT-nested PCR	66	18	27.27
Anber et al[76], 2016	2015	Egypt	Hemodialysis patients	Seronegative/seropositive	rRT-PCR	63	9	14.29
Abdelmoemen et al[53], 2018	2016	Egypt	Hemodialysis patients	Seronegative	rRT-PCR	62	3	4.84
Eldaly et al[54], 2016	?	Egypt	Blood donors	Seronegative	RT-nested PCR	138	8	5.80
Youssef et al[55], 2012	2010-2011	Egypt	(1) Patients with lymphoproliferative disorders; (2) Healthy volunteers	Seronegative	RT-PCR/RT-nested PCR	87	12	13.79
Bastani et al[57], 2016	2015	Iran	Thalassemia patients	Seronegative	RT-nested PCR	106	6	5.66
Farahani et al[58], 2013	2010-2011	Iran	Patients with lymphoproliferative disorders	Seronegative	RT-nested PCR	104	2	1.92
Yousif et al[59], 2018	2017	Egypt	Patients with chronic hepatitis C who achieved SVR	Seropositive	rRT-PCR	150	17	11.33
Bokharaei-Salim et al[60], 2016	2014-2015	Iran	HIV positive patients	Seronegative/seropositive	RT-nested PCR	82	10	12.20
Helaly et al[15], 2017	2014-2015	Egypt	(1) Patients with hematologic disorders; (2) Healthy subjects	Seronegative	RT-nested PCR	50	18	36.00
Alavian et al[69], 2013	?	Iran	Patients with chronic hepatitis C who achieved SVR	Seropositive	RT-PCR	70	9	12.86
Askar et al[49], 2010	?	Egypt	Patients with unexplained persistently abnormal liver function tests	Seronegative	RT-nested PCR	45	20	44.44

ALT: Alanine transaminase; AST: Aspartate aminotransferase; HBV: Hepatitis B virus; HCV: Hepatitis C virus; HIV: Human immunodeficiency virus; Is-PCR: In situ-PCR; PCR: Polymerase chain reaction; RT-PCR: Reverse transcription PCR; rRT-PCR: Real time RT-PCR; SVR: Sustained virologic response.