1. Hepatitis C virus infection and liver disease in children with thalassemia.
- Author
-
Locasciulli A, Monguzzi W, Tornotti G, Bianco P, and Masera G
- Subjects
- Adolescent, Adult, Chelation Therapy, Child, Child, Preschool, Combined Modality Therapy, Deferoxamine therapeutic use, Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay, Female, Hemochromatosis etiology, Hepatitis Antibodies blood, Hepatitis B complications, Hepatitis B epidemiology, Hepatitis B transmission, Hepatitis C epidemiology, Hepatitis C transmission, Hepatitis C Antibodies, Humans, Iron, Liver Diseases epidemiology, Male, Prevalence, Transfusion Reaction, beta-Thalassemia therapy, Hepatitis C complications, Liver Diseases etiology, beta-Thalassemia complications
- Abstract
Antibody to the recently identified HCV and type of liver disease were investigated in 25 children with homozygous beta thalassemia. All patients were tested at regular intervals by second generation ORTHO-ELISA test. 19/25 (76%) patients were found repeatedly positive: in 11 cases seroconversion from anti-HCV- to anti-HCV+ status could be also documented. Liver disease was more severe in anti-HCV positive children. Seroconversion however did not produce major changes in liver disease outcome.
- Published
- 1993