Seroprevalence of hepatitis b and c among thalassemic, haemophilic patients in Babylon Governorate-Iraq

Abstract EN

A randomly selected of 60 haemphilic, and 56 thalassemic patients from Babylon Governorate–Iraq were studied during the period from November (2011) to June (2012).A total of (116) blood samples were collected from (71 were males) and (45 were females) with a mean age of (24.5 ± 7.1 years) and tested for anti- HBsAg and anti-HCV IgG antibody by ELISA test.

The anti-HBsAg reactivity was confirmed by enzyme –linked fluorescent immunoassay (ELFA) that is performed in the automated VIDAS system while the anti-HCV reactivity was confirmed by Cobas apparatus and the viral load was measured by RT-PCR.

The study showed that there are no anti-HBs Ag seropositive cases in both haemophilia and thalassemia groups while the ratio of seropositivty cases of anti– HCV Ab in hemophilia patients were (6.67 %) in which (10.52 %) were infected males while (4.5 %) were infected females.

In thalassemia the anti-HCV prevalence were (25 %) in which (27.27 %) were males while (26.0 %) were females.

The study showed that there is a higher rate of HCV infections in rural residence than in urban areas.

Also HCV had more incidences in people with low economic status, low educational level, and it was more in smokers than in nonsmokers.

The results of RT-PCR and ELISA technique were not compatible for (anti-HCV IgG).