title: Hepatitis C virus antibody in multiply transfused Chinese with thalassaemia major.
abstract: Thirty-four of 99 multiply transfused Chinese (49 females, 50 males) with thalassaemia major were positive for antibody to hepatitis C virus. There was no sex predominance in seropositivity with 18 females and 16 males positive. The mean (+/- SD) age and units of blood transfused were significantly higher in the seropositive patients (167 +/- 48 months, 206 +/- 82 units respectively) than the seronegative patients (113 +/- 56 months, 124 +/- 80 units respectively). The seropositive patients had higher mean (+/- SD) serum alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase and ferritin concentrations (91 +/- 82 IU/L, 67 +/- 38 IU/L, 4797 +/- 2522 ng/ml respectively) than the seronegative patients (38 +/- 29 IU/L, 48 +/- 28 IU/L, 3620 +/- 2140 ng/ml respectively). Serum ferritin had an independent and significant effect on serum alanine aminotransferase in addition to that of seropositivity to hepatitis C virus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital.
authors.forename: Y L
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Lau
authors.forename: C B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Chow
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: K W
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.forename: W L
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: C F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: S Y
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Lam
authors.forename: C K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002681:China; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology*; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D065227:Transfusion Reaction; D017086:beta-Thalassemia / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D005293:Ferritins; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase