title: Seroprevalence of HBsAg, anti-HCV, and anti-HIV among haemophiliac patients in Shiraz, Iran.
abstract: A study was performed during 1999-2000 on multi-transfused patients with haemophilia who are registered by the Shiraz Haemophilia Society. HBsAg, anti-HCV, and anti-HIV were checked using a second-generation enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Positive tests for anti-HCV and anti-HIV were confirmed by a western blot test. Healthy blood donors were used for the control group. HBsAg, anti-HCV, and anti-HIV were positive in two (0.71%, 95% CI = 0.12-2.33), 44 (15.65%, 95% CI = 11.76-20.26), and one (0.36%, 95% CI = 0.02-1.74) of the patients, respectively. Positive sera for HBsAg, anti-HCV, and anti-HIV were found in 85 (1.07%), 47 (0.59%), and 27 (0.34%) of the control group, respectively. The rate of anti-HCV was significantly higher in the patients than in the control group (p << 0.0001). The rate of positive anti-HCV was significantly higher than that of positive HBsAg in the patients (p << 0.0001). The reverse was correct for the control group (p = 0.0008). It is concluded that HCV is the current major problem in multi-transfused haemophiliac patients and more careful pre-transfusion screening of blood for anti-HCV must be introduced in all blood banks.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Iran. alavianm@sums.ac.ir
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Karimi
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Ghavanini
mesh_terms: D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006467:Hemophilia A / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy / Q000821:virology*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D065227:Transfusion Reaction; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission
chemical_list: D015483:HIV Antibodies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies