Hepatitis B or non-A, non-B virus infection in multitransfused thalassaemic patients

• Published in: Archives of disease in childhood Vol. 59; no. 12; pp. 1127 - 1130
• Main Authors: Moroni, G A, Piacentini, G, Terzoli, S, Jean, G, Masera, G
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health 01-12-1984; BMJ; BMJ Publishing Group LTD
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Age Factors; Anemias. Hemoglobinopathies; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Child, Preschool; Diseases of red blood cells; Female; Hematologic and hematopoietic diseases; Hepatitis; Hepatitis B; Hepatitis B - etiology; Hepatitis B Antibodies - analysis; Hepatitis B Core Antigens - immunology; Hepatitis B e Antigens - immunology; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens - analysis; Hepatitis C - etiology; Hepatitis, Viral, Human - etiology; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Male; Medical sciences; Thalassemia - enzymology; Thalassemia - immunology; Thalassemia - therapy; Transaminases - blood; Transfusion Reaction; Human; Hemoglobinopathy; Multiple; Transfusion; Biological marker; Various treatments; Thalassemia; Hereditary; Aminotransferase; Blood; Virus; Infection; Viral disease; Adolescent; Complication; Serum; Hepatitis B virus; Child; Supervision; Non A non B hepatitis virus
• ISSN: 0003-9888; 1468-2044
• DOI: 10.1136/adc.59.12.1127

We undertook a four year study of 128 thalassaemic patients who had undergone several transfusions, to determine the incidence of hepatitis B virus markers and the activities of transaminases in their sera each month. The results showed that the possibility of these patients contracting hepatitis B virus infection is still high, although on only one occasion was a transient antigenaemia found, indicating low viral replication. Furthermore, the probability of contact with hepatitis B virus increases with the number of transfusions and, therefore, with age. About 25% of these patients were positive for hepatitis B markers and 80% for other hepatitis markers including the case of cytomegalovirus hepatitis.