Abstract:
This research was aimed to investigate the prevalence
and clinical impact of occult HBV infection in thalassemic patients with
chronic HCV infection. In this cross-sectional study we have totally examined
60 patients suffering HBV and HCV infections by PCR and RT-PCR methods,
respectively, in Kerman province of Iran. ELISA technique (RADIM, Italy)
was used to detect anti-HBc, anti-HBs and HBsAg. The serum level of liver
enzymes (SGOT, SGPT, DB, TB and ALK) were analyzed in the HCV infected
patients (MAN, IRAN). Statistical analyses performed using t-test and
Chi-square. We found that 27 cases (out of 60) were infected by HCV but
HBV-DNA was not seen in HCV infected patients. Present findings also showed
that none of samples were HBsAg positive but 9 (33%) (out of 27) HCV-RNA
positive patients were anti-HBc positive and 11 (40.7%) were positive
for anti-HBs. We found that SGOT, SGPT, DB, TB and ALK are above normal
in 27 (100%), 19 (70.3%), 12 (44.5%), 15 (55.5%) and 15 (55.5%) RNA-HCV
positive patients, respectively. The prevalence of hepatitis C infection
is very high in thalassemic patients and based on other studies our results
showed that the prevalence of HCV infection in Kerman is more than other
provinces of Iran. In contrast with other studies HBV-DNA in these patients
could not be detected, hence, it seems that occult HBV infection isn`t
frequent in Iranian thalassemic patients who suffering from chronic HCV
infection.
Mohammad Kazemi Arababadi, Gholamhossein Hassanshahi, Hassan Yousefi, Ebrahim Rezazadeh Zarandi, Mohammad Moradi and Mahdi Mahmoodi, 2008. No Detected Hepatitis B Virus-DNA in Thalassemic Patients Infected by Hepatitis C Virus in Kerman Province of Iran. Pakistan Journal of Biological Sciences, 11: 1738-1741.
Subscribe Today 
