Certain tumour markers in long standing chronic hepatitis B and C in Egyptian beta thalassemia

ABSTRACT

B-thalassemia major is the most Common haemolytic disease in Egypt and is transfusion dependent disease. Thalassemic patients have high prevalence of HCV and HBV. A study involving 135 polytransf used thalassemic Egyptian children was conducted from haematologic clinic Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams Univesity and Ahmed Maher Teaching Hospital to determine the prevalence of HCV and HBV and the rule of blood transfusion in the spread of the virus and also to determine the levels of tumor markers AFPand CA 19.9 in the sera of the patients for early detection of HCC in polytransfused thalassemic patients with long standing chronic HCV and HBV. Also 25 healthy children considered as control group. Serum specimens were assayed for hepatitis markers [HBsAg, HBsAb, HBcAb [IgG, IgM] and HCV antibodies]. The result of this study showed that the prevalence of combined HCV and HBV was the highest one 79.2% then HBV only 10.4% then HCV antibodies 8.9% and lastly 1.5% had no any markers for HBV and HCV. Positive hepatitis cases were associated with increased duration of illness, and volume and number of transfusion when compared with negative cases. The high prevalence of HCV antibody [87.4%] among multitransfused children suggests that blood and blood products supplies should be regularly screened for HCV antibody. AFP and CA 19.9 measurements in cases showed that there is slight non significant increase in the level of both compared with control. Measuring of AFP and CA 19.9, liver sonography, isotope liver scan for selected cases showed no evidence of HCC in these patients