ABSTRACT
Background: Little information is available in Chile about hepatitis C virus (HCV) in hematological and oncohematological patients. Aim: To evaluate the prevalence of hepatitis C virus markers in a group of hematological and oncohematological pediatric patients seen at Valdivia Regional Hospital. Patients and methods: Antibodies against virus C, determined by ELISA and viral RNA, determined using RT-polymerase chain reaction, were measured in 54 blood samples from children with hematological diseases (34 with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia, 4 with Hodgkin Diseases, 4 with Haemolytic Anemia, 5 with Sarcomas, 2 with Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma, 2 with Thrombocytopenic Purpura, 1 with an Ependimoma, one with a Wilms Tumor and 1 with a Von Willebrand Disease). Results: All samples were negative for antibodies against hepatitis C virus. Viral RNA was found in four children, all with a diagnosis of acute lymphoblastic leukemia and who received chemotherapy and multiple transfusions. Conclusions: The prevalence of Viral RNA for hepatitis C virus in oncohematological patients in our study is high and associated with the use of chemotherapy and multiple transfusions