ABSTRACT
Serum ferritin concentration was assessed in male and female pregnant and non-pregnant thalassaemia carriers and in normal subjects of both sexes. Low ferritin levels were found in 61% of non-pregnant and in 32% of pregnant female beta-thalassaemia heterozygotes whereas male thalassaemia carriers had normal iron stores. Increased ferritin levels were not observed in any of the subjects examined. These findings show that iron deficiency is a common finding in female thalassaemia carriers of reproductive age who are not receiving iron supplementation.
Subject(s)
Ferritins/blood , Iron/metabolism , Thalassemia/genetics , Adolescent , Adult , Female , Heterozygote , Humans , Male , Pregnancy , Sex Factors , Thalassemia/bloodABSTRACT
The frequency of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection has been studied in 149 polytransfused thalassaemic patients and in healthy controls. Evidence for EBV infection was based on the detection of antibodies to viral capsid antigen (anti-VCA) and for HBV infection on the detection of either hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) or hepatitis B surface antibody (anti-HBs). The frequency of anti-VCA was not significantly higher in the patients (16.4%) compared to the controls (69.8%) whereas HBV infection was more frequently observed in the patients (91.3%) than in the controls (17.3%). There was also no evidence of repeated infection or recent infection with EBV in the polytransfused patients. These data suggest that transfusion of stored blood does not represent a significant factor of spread for EBV.
Subject(s)
Hepatitis B/etiology , Herpesvirus 4, Human/pathogenicity , Thalassemia/complications , Transfusion Reaction , Adolescent , Adult , Antibodies, Viral , Capsid/immunology , Child , Child, Preschool , Hepatitis B/complications , Hepatitis B/diagnosis , Hepatitis B Antibodies , Hepatitis B Surface Antigens , Homozygote , Humans , Immunoglobulin M , InfantABSTRACT
Evidence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis A virus (HAV) infections was south in 148 multiply transfused patients with thalassaemia and in healthy controls (2040 for HBV and 217 for HAV). The prevalence of the HBV surface antigen or antibody to it was significantly higher in patients than in controls and increased with the number of blood transfusions. In contrast, the prevalence of antibody to HAV was significantly lower in patients than in controls and decreased with the number of blood transfusions. These results support the view that blood transfusion does not play any appreciable part in transmitting HAV. Indeed, regular blood transfusion, where donors almost all have HAV antibody, seems to give protection against infection.
