title: Hepatitis B and C virus infections in patients with hemophilia in Zahedan, southeast Iran.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Boo-Ali Hospital, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran. batoolsharifi@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Batool
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sharifi-Mood
authors.forename: Payman
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Eshghi
authors.forename: Esmail
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sanei-Moghaddam
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hashemi
mesh_terms: 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