Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1 Department of Pediatrics, Ali Asghar Children's Hospital, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
2 Department of Pediatrics, Children and Adolescents Health Research Center, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran.
3 General Physician, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran.
Abstract
Background: Beta-thalassemia major is an inherited hemoglobin disorder caused by defective synthesis of the beta-globin chain. Patients with beta-thalassemia major require regular blood transfusions, exposing them to transfusion-transmitted infections (TTIs). This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of TTIs among beta-thalassemia major patients.
Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 748 beta-thalassemia major patients were analyzed. The presence of antibodies for hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV was detected using the ELISA method, while PCR was performed to confirm hepatitis C and HIV infections. Demographic information such as age, gender, and laboratory findings was extracted from patients’ medical records and analyzed using SPSS version 25 with appropriate statistical tests.
Results: The mean age of the patients was 15.57 ± 8.6 years. Among them, 392 (52.5%) were male . The most common TTIs was hepatitis C, observed in 8.02% (60 patients). Hepatitis B was found in 0.8% (6 patients), and HIV in 0.1% . The mean age of patients with hepatitis C was 15.53 ± 6.4 years, while those with hepatitis B had a mean age of 15.3 ± 5.03 years. The highest prevalence of TTIs occurred in patients with longer transfusion histories.
Conclusion: The findings of this study revealed that hepatitis C is the most common transfusion-transmitted infection among beta-thalassemia major patients. Furthermore, an increased frequency of transfusions was associated with a higher risk of TTIs. Thus, greater attention to donor screening tests and appropriate immunization strategies is essential to reduce the prevalence of infections in patients requiring frequent transfusions.
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