Prevalence of Hepatitis C Virus Antibodies among Beta-Thalassemia Major Patients in Kurdistan Province, Iran

Blood transfusion is used to treat patients with beta-thalassemia major. Blood transfusion is associated with risk of infection, especially hepatitis C virus (HCV).
The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of anti-HCV antibodies in patients with beta-thalassemia major in Kurdistan, Iran.
In this cross sectional study, serum samples were collected from 106 out of 129 registered patients with beta-thalassemia major, referred to hospitals in Kurdistan province, Iran in 2015. The sera were kept at -20°C until analysis. Antibodies to HCV (IgG and IgM) were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA); ELISA-positive samples were verified by the recombinant immunoblot assay (RIBA).
The prevalence of anti-HCV antibodies was 5.66% (4 males, 2 females), based on the ELISA assay. Four (3.77%) ELISA-positive patients were confirmed by RIBA assay (2 males, 2 females), while the results of 2 (1.88%) men were indeterminate. HCV antibodies showed a significant correlation with the patient’s age (P = 0.001) and duration of receiving blood transfusions (P = 0.003). However, there was no significant association between HCV antibodies and gender (P = 0.428).
The prevalence of HCV in patients with beta-thalassemia major was lower in Kurdistan, compared to other provinces of Iran. Although screening programs for blood donors in blood transfusion centers can be effective, it is recommended to use nucleic acid tests for screening blood donors.