ABSTRACT
Estimation of residual risk is essential to monitor and improve blood safety. Our epidemiologic knowledge in the Iranian donor population regarding transfusion transmitted viral infections (TTIs), is confined to a few studies based on prevalence rate. There are no reports on residual risk of TTIs in Iran. In present survey, a software database of donor records of Tehran Blood Transfusion Center (TBTC) was used to estimate the incidence and residual risk of hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections, by applying the incidence rate/window period (IR-WP) model. A total of 1,207,155 repeat donations was included in the analysis and represented a mean of 8.4 donations per donor over 6 years. The incidence amongst repeat donors was estimated by dividing the number of confirmed seroconverting donors by the total number of person-years at risk. The residual risk was calculated using the incidence/window period model. Incidence rate and residual risk for HBV, HCV and HIV infections were calculated for total (2005-2010) and two consecutive periods (2005-2007 and 2008-2010) of the study. According to the IR-WP model, overall residual risk for HIV and HCV in the total study period was 0.4 and 12.5 per million units, respectively and for HBV 4.57/100,000 donations. The incidence and residual risk of TTIs, calculated on TBTC's blood supply was low and comparable with developed countries for HIV infection but high for HCV and HBV infections. Blood safety may therefore be better managed by applying other techniques like nucleic acid amplification tests.
ABSTRACT
We report a 21-year-old woman who was admitted because of unilateral facial paresis and then developed progressive ascending flaccid tetraparesis with generalized areflexia. Electrodiagnostic studies revealed acute motor axonal polyradiculoneuropathy (AMAN type of Guillain-Barré Syndrome). Further evaluations revealed severe leukocytosis, increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), increased protein content and presence of a few lymphocytes in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and then presence of human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-I) in serum and CSF. Finally, biopsy of the enlarged lymph nodes resulted in the diagnosis of Adult T-cell Leukemia-Lymphoma. The HTLV-1 has been endemic to certain parts of Iran like Khorasan province in the northeast since 1985 with 2.3% prevalence rate of infection. Thus, some rare neurologic complications occasionally occur in this area as a result of being infected with HTLV-1.
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION. Helicobacter pylori infection in gastric mucosa may cause systemic inflammatory reaction. We investigated the inflammatory effect of H pylori infection on nutritional factors such as serum albumin in hemodialysis patients and influence of eradication of H pylori on this association. MATERIALS AND METHODS. Ninety-eight patients on hemodialysis were divided into 2 groups according to H pylori infection. Eradication of H pylori, 8 weeks after treatment, was confirmed by urease breath test and H pylori stool antigen. Serum albumin, lipid profile, and metabolite levels were checked before and after 8 weeks and 6 months of eradication of H pylori. RESULTS. Thirty-nine patients (39.8%) were infected with H pylori. There were no significant differences between the two groups in age, dialysis duration, serum albumin, serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, hemoglobin, serum calcium, serum phosphorus, and lipid profile. Thirty-seven patients with H pylori completed the treatment period. Eradication was successful in 30 patients (81.1%). Eight weeks and 6 months after anti-H pylori drug therapy, the mean serum albumin level significantly decreased from 4.2 mg/dL to 3.6 mg/dL (P < .001) and 3.7 mg/dL (P < .001), respectively. Significant decreases were seen in serum cholesterol (P = .001), blood urea nitrogen (P = .005), and serum calcium level (P = .03) and a significant increase in hemoglobin level (P = .02). CONCLUSIONS. Our study did not demonstrate nutritional benefits after H pylori eradication treatment, as the level of nutritional markers reduced. This relationship needs to be confirmed by further prospective studies.
