Aetiology of liver cirrhosis in Kenya
Okoth, F.A.; Bowry, T.R.; Shah, M.V.; Gatei, D.G.
East African Medical Journal 63(11): 724-730
1986
ISSN/ISBN: 0012-835X PMID: 3582228 Document Number: 270986
40 patients with histologically confirmed liver cirrhosis attending Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) were studied. The mean age was 46.1 years and the male to female ratio was 2:1. Most of the patients were of the Kikuyu tribe. Hepatitis B Surface antigen (HBsAg) seropositivity rate was 61% in patients compared with 10% in hospital controls and 17% in volunteer blood donors. Alcohol may play an important role in the causation of cirrhosis though many of the characteristic histological features seen in caucasians were lacking. 33% of the cases of liver cirrhosis and histories of moderate to high alcohol intake. In spite of a lack of certain histological features of alcoholic liver diseases the occurrence of haemosiderosis and raised serum IgA levels support the suggestion that alcohol per se may damage the organ or do so in association with certain hepatotropic viruses. Histories of alcohol intake and HBsAg seropositivity were both found in 38% of cases of liver cirrhosis. The aetiology of liver cirrhosis in 85% of the Kenyan patients is related to Hepatitis B virus infection and alcoholic ingestion individually or jointly. The roles of non A - non B hepatitis viruses and aflatoxin has not been excluded. Autoimmune liver disease was not found in Kenyan cases of liver cirrhosis.