Hepatitis E virus infection in patients from Saudi Arabia with sickle cell anaemia and beta-thalassemia major: possible transmission by blood transfusion.
The seroprevalence of antibodies against hepatitis E virus (HEV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) was investigated in Saudi children with sickle cell anaemia (SCA) (50 patients: 28 boys, 22 girls; age range 2-14 years) and beta-thalassemia major (28 patients: 12 boys, 16 girls; age range 2-12 years). The SCA patients were from the Gizan area (South) while the thalassemics were from the Riyadh area (Central province). The prevalence of hepatitis E virus antibody (HEVAb) in patients with SCA (18.0%) and in those with beta-thalassemia major (10.7%) was higher than in the control groups (5.5% and 2.8%) but this did not reach the level of statistical significance. In contrast to the situation with HEV, hepatitis C virus antibody (HCVAb) positivity was significantly higher in patients with SCA (16.0%) and in thalassemics (57.1%) than in the respective control groups. Although the difference in HEV seropositivity between beta-thalassemia major, SCA patients and their respective controls is not statistically significant, the possibility of blood-borne HEV in the Saudi population cannot be excluded. Further investigations using HEV-specific polymerase chain reaction techniques are required to confirm whether transmission of HEV through blood preparations or transfusion is possible.
al-Fawaz
I
I
Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
al-Rasheed
S
S
al-Mugeiren
M
M
al-Salloum
A
A
al-Sohaibani
M
M
Ramia
S
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000150:complications* / Q000821:virology*; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D016751:Hepatitis E / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission*; D016752:Hepatitis E virus / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D012529:Saudi Arabia / Q000453:epidemiology; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D065227:Transfusion Reaction; D017086:beta-Thalassemia / Q000150:complications* / Q000821:virology*
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies