Luay F. AL-Juboori
A cross-sectional study performed on 50 patients(60% were females and 40% were males) with thalassemia major who attend thalassemia clinic at Tikrit teaching hospital for regular blood transfusions to determine the frequency of HCV infection and studying the effects of that infection on liver function and its relation to blood transfusions and iron status. Demographic data were obtained from patients files with results of antibody testing for HCV and samples of blood were sent for serum iron level and liver enzymes. Out of 50 thalassemia patients, 10% of them had positive anti-HCV antibody, their age range 17.34 years. Eighty percent of seronegative and 66% of seropositive patients were received blood transfusion at a rate more than 100 times. It was shown that 60% of patients with positive anti-HCV had abnormal liver function tests although this not significant statistically as compared with those of negative results for HCV. Patients with positive HCV and elevated iron level constitute about 80%, and 88% for those with sronegative results and high serum iron. As well as 72% of total patients had both elevated both the iron level and liver enzymes. It has been concluded that the risk of infection with HCV was significantly increased with older age groups and with the frequency of transfusions.