Evaluation of infectious disease markers in multitransfused Egyptian children with thalassemia

Area of Science:

• Hematology
• Infectious Diseases
• Public Health

Background:

• Thalassemia is a common genetic blood disorder in Egypt.
• Multi-transfused patients are at increased risk of transfusion-transmitted infections.
• Current blood screening methods may not detect all infections during the window period.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV), hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) antibodies in multi-transfused Egyptian children with thalassemia.
• To assess the effectiveness of current blood screening practices in preventing transfusion-transmitted infections.
• To identify risk factors associated with increased infection rates.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 200 Egyptian children with beta-thalassemia.
• Serological testing for HCV antibody, HBsAg, and HIV-1 and 2 antibodies using ELISA.
• Confirmation of HCV-positive samples using RT-PCR.
• Statistical analysis to determine associations between age and infection markers.

Main Results:

• HCV antibodies were detected in 24% of patients, all confirmed by PCR.
• HBsAg was positive in 3% of patients; 4 HCV-positive patients were also HBsAg-positive.
• No cases of HIV infection were found.
• Older age was significantly associated with a higher incidence of positive infectious markers (p<0.05).

Conclusions:

• The frequency of HCV infection is considerably high among Egyptian children with thalassemia.
• Existing blood transfusion screening requires improvement to enhance safety.
• Nucleic acid testing should be considered to reduce HCV transmission during the window period.