Abstract

The blood born transmitted viral hepatitis occurs after frequent blood infusions among patients with thalassaemia and hemodialysis disease, and in a large number of these patients severe and chronic liver disease developed. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of hepatitis B and C serology among hemodialysis and thalassemic patients in a special medical center in East of Tehran in 2011. This was a descriptive cross-sectional study performed on 62 patients (49 hemodialysis and 13 thalassemic patients) in the same center. Initially, demographic information and data associated with possible risk factor were collected for each patient followed by testing blood samples for presence of anti-hepatitis C virus antibody (anti-HCV-Ab), anti-hepatitis B virus antibody (anti-HCV-Ab), and other serologic tests. By using SPSS software, t test and chi-square statistics data were analyzed. Anti-HCV-Ab (ELISA) was positive in 4 patients (6.1%). Confirmation of positive samples was carried out using HCV RNA PCR but the results in all patients (100%) were negative. Serologic markers of hepatitis B such as hepatitis B surface antigen (HBs-Ag), hepatitis B surface antibody (HBs-Ab) and hepatitis B core antibody (HBcAb)HBc-Ab were negative in all patients. Regarding the current practice of safe blood-transfusion program in our country, it is concluded that eliminating of risk factors and the use of screening tests with higher sensitivity could be among the key elements in controlling the prevalence of HCV/HBs infection among thalassemia/hemodialysis patients. Serologic markers of hepatitis B and C should be evaluated in periodic manner and HCV-RNA PCR should be evaluated yearly in all patients, because defect of cellular and humoral immune system could be present in these patients.

Key words: Prevalence, thalassemia/hemodialysis patients, hepatitis B and C.