title: Spectrum of viral hepatitis in thalassemic children receiving multiple blood transfusions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the prevalence of infection with hepatitis viruses in children with thalassemia receiving multiple blood transfusions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sera from 50 children with thalassemia aged 5-15 years (30 boys), who had each received over 80 units of blood, were evaluated for the presence of markers for hepatitis A virus (HAV; IgG and IgM anti-HAV), hepatitis B virus (HBV; HBsAg, and IgG and IgM anti-HBc), hepatitis C virus (HCV; IgG and IgM anti-HCV, and HCV RNA) and hepatitis E virus (HEV; IgG and IgM anti-HEV). IgM anti-hepatitis D virus (HDV) was looked for only in HBsAg or IgM anti-HBc positive sera.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No child had evidence of recent HAV or HDV infection. IgG anti-HAV was positive in 12 children. One patient had acute HBV infection. Nine patients were HBsAg-positive. HCV infection was present in 15 cases; six of them were HCV RNA positive, and three had superinfection with hepatitis B. Recent HEV infection was present in 5 cases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Thalassemic patients receiving multiple blood transfusions often acquire hepatitis B (20%) and C (30%) infections. Recent hepatitis E infection was documented in 10% in this one-point study.
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi.
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Irshad
authors.forename: Sudhir
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Peter
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D001803:Blood Transfusion; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000276:immunology; D016752:Hepatitis E virus / Q000276:immunology; D006518:Hepatitis Viruses / Q000276:immunology*; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000097:blood* / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013789:Thalassemia / Q000097:blood* / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens