Seroprevalence and risk factors of hepatitis c virus infection in patients with sickle cell disease
TCHOUAKAM NITCHEU Diego ; ATASHILI Julius ; EPOSSE Charlotte E. ; NJIENGWE Erero ; LEUNDJI Hubert ;CHOUKEM Siméon P.
CaHReF 20116, Yaoundé Conges hall, 23 – 26 August 2016 , PL042
Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) patients are subjected to multiple blood transfusions throughout their lives, hence; they are predisposed to blood-borne infections such as Hepatitis C virus (HCV) (major cause of post-transfusion hepatitis).
We aimed at determining the sero-prevalence of HCV and identifying risk factors associated with HCV infection in SCD patients in the Douala Laquintinie Hospital (DLH).
We conducted a cross-sectional study by consecutive enrollment of SCD patients at the DLH from November 2014 to March 2015. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire. Blood samples were taken and tested for HCV by Enzyme-linked immune-sorbent assay (by CTK biotech laboratory). EPI info version 7 was used for data analysis.
We found 4.6% of the 217 participants aged 1–47 years (mean of 13.4± 9.4) were sero-positive for HCV. This proportion increased significantly with age. One hundred and sixty one (74.2%) of these participants had a history of blood transfusion. There was an association between number of blood transfusions on one hand and year of first blood transfusion before 2005 on the other hand with sero-prevalence of HCV. Thus those who received more than 10 blood transfusions had a higher sero-prevalence of HCV (30.0%) as compared to the sero-prevalence (4.0%) in those who had less than 10 blood transfusions (p=0.01). And those first transfused before 2005 had a higher prevalence (10.9%) as compared to the prevalence (2.3%) in those transfused as from 2005 (p=0.04). There was a significant association of sexual activity with the sero-prevalence of HCV. As 14.6% and 1.8% were sero-positive for HCV among sexually active participants and non-sexually active participants respectively (p=0.001).
One in every 20 SCD patients was sero-positive for HCV, and this proportion increased with age. The risk factors identified were: sexual activity, history of more than 10 blood transfusions, and having received blood transfusion before 2005.
Sickle cell disease, hepatitis C virus, blood transfusion