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Seroprevalence of HIV-1, Hepatitis B and C viruses in sickle cell disease patients in Zaria, Nigeria
Aliyu A Babadoko1, Aisha I Mamman1, Zakari Y Aliyu2, Suleiman A Maude1, Victor Gordeuk3, Vandana Sachdev4, Peter Akpanpe1, Ester Attah1, Yusuf Suleiman1, Nurudeen Aliyu1, Jamilu Yusuf1, Laurel Mendelsohn5, Gregory J Kato3, Mark T Gladwin5
1 Ahmadu Bello University Hospital, Shika-Zaria, Nigeria
2 Department of Medicine, Centre for Sickle Cell Disease, Howard University, Washington, District of Columbia; Pulmonary and Vascular Medicine Branch, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, NIH Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
3 Department of Medicine, Centre for Sickle Cell Disease, Howard University, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America
4 Cardiology Branch, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
5 Pulmonary and Vascular Medicine Branch, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, NIH Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
Correspondence Address:
Aliyu A Babadoko
Department of Haematology and Blood Transfusion, Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria
Nigeria
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None
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Introduction: Transfusion of blood is an important and a frequent modality of treatment for either vaso-occlussive or haemolytic crisis in patients with sickle cell disease (SCD). Sickle cell disease patients are therefore at risk of transfusion transmissible infection, blood transfusion been a recognized route of transmission of HIV, Hepatitis B and C virus particularly in resource constraint settings lacking antigen detection techniques as well as an organized and effective blood transfusion services.
Aim: To determine the prevalence of HIV-1, Hepatitis B and C viral antibodies in patients with sickle cell disease.
Patients and Method: A cross sectional study of 208 consecutive SCD patients at steady state and 94 healthy non-matched controls were screened for HIV-1antibodies (parallel ELIZA Determine and Uni-Gold), Hepatitis B surface antigen (NOVA) and anti-HCV (NOVA) in 2006.
Results: Of the total number of 204 SCD patients screened, 102 (49%) were males and 106 (51%) were females .The mean age of the subjects was 22 ± 8 years. One hundred and nine patients (95.2%) were haemoglobin S homozygote's and 10 (4.8%) were compound heterozygote's for haemoglobin S and C. Ninety percent of the subjects reported less than 5 units of whole blood transfusion during their lifetime. Prevalence of HIV, Hepatitis B and C was 3.9%, 2.0% and 4.4% respectively.
Conclusion: Prevalence of HIV, Hepatitis B and C is low in our setting and this may not be unconnected with routine screening of prospective donors. However increased public awareness, health education programs and better screening techniques will further reduce the spread of these viruses, as other routes of transmission may also play a role.
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