Hepatitis C is one of the common types of chronic liver disease, and its plausible association with trace metal imbalance has been investigated in the present study. The blood samples of hepatitis C patients and healthy donors were analysed for trace metals (Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Li, Mg, Mn, Na, Pb, and Zn) by flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry after wet acid digestion. In the blood of the hepatitis patients, mean concentrations of essential metals, Na, K, Fe, Ca, Mg, and Zn, were 918.7, 361.0, 102.5, 20.00, 24.66, and 9.429 ppm, respectively, while the mean metal levels in the blood of healthy donors were 1509, 406.8, 232.5, 28.35, 24.59, and 8.799 ppm, respectively. On the average, Cr was significantly higher, while Na, Fe, Ca, Cu, Mn, Pb, and Cd were comparatively lower in the blood of the patients. The correlation study manifested significantly divergent mutual relationships of trace metals in the blood of the patients and healthy donors. Multivariate statistical methods revealed considerably diverse distribution of trace metals in the two groups. Dissimilarity in the trace metal distribution was also noted with the gender and residential location of the donors in both groups.

Aim: The present study was conducted to investigate the distribution and mutual variations of trace elements (Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Li, Mg, Mn, Na, Pb, and Zn) in the scalp hair of hepatitis-C patients in comparison with the healthy subjects. Methods: The scalp hair samples were solubilized in nitric acid and perchloric acid mixture, followed by the quantification of the trace elements on flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The metal data were then subjected to the detailed statistical analyses. Results: Average concentrations of Ca, Mg, Zn and Na were dominant in the scalp hair of both groups, although most of the trace elernents exhibited higher dispersion and tandomness in the patients. Mean levels of Cr, Fe, Cd, Mg and Cu were significantly higher and those of Zn and Mn were lower in the scalp hair of the patients (p < 0.05). The correlation study revealed considerable variations in the rnutual relationships of trace elelnents in both groups. Principal component and cluster analyses exhibited diverse appor

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