Hepatitis B and C virus infections in patients with hemophilia in Zahedan, southeast Iran.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections in patients with hemophilia in Zahedan, Iran.


METHODS
From March 2003 to January 2006, we evaluated 81 hemophiliac patients in Zahedan Hemophilia Center, southeast Iran, for hepatitis C virus antibody (HCV-Ab) and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), and evaluated the prevalence of HBV/HCV co-infection.


RESULTS
The seroprevalence of HCV was 29.6%, and the HBsAg was positive in 4.9%. Four cases had HCV and HBV co-infection. All of the infected patients were unknowingly treated with contaminated plasma products before the middle of 1996.


CONCLUSIONS
All hemophiliacs, especially patients who have been treated with unheated clotting factor concentrates, should be evaluated for HCV and HBV infections.
Sharifi-Mood
Batool
B
Research Center for Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Boo-Ali Hospital, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran. batoolsharifi@yahoo.com
Eshghi
Payman
P
Sanei-Moghaddam
Esmail
E
Hashemi
Mohammad
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006467:Hemophilia A / Q000150:complications*; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies