The Prevalence of Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) Infection and Genotypes in Patients with Hemophilia and Other Blood Coagulopathies in Mashhad, Iran

Background and Aim: Patients with blood coagulopathies treated with multiple transfusions have a high risk to acquire some viral infections such as hepatitis C. This research was aimed to identify hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection prevalence, and the viral genotypes among patients with hemophilia and other inherited coagulopathies in Mashhad, Iran. Methods: Medical records of 760 patients with inherited coagulopathies including hemophilia were reviewed in Sarvar Clinic of Mashhad. Plasma samples were subjected to detect antibodies against HCV (anti-HCV) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. HCV RNA and genotypes were determined by a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method. Results: Totally 128 individuals (16.8%) including patients with hemophilia (n=116) and individuals with other coagulopathies (n=12) were found to be seropositive for anti-HCV. They comprised 122 men and six women with a mean age of 31.6 ± 10.5 years. The PCR results were available for 118 patients, of whom 86 individuals (72.9%) were found to have detectable HCV RNA in their serum. The most frequent genotypes were 1a and 3a (49.1% and 35.8%, respectively). HCV genotypes were not significantly correlated with the patients’ age (p=0.477) as well as with the serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (p=0.655) and aspartate aminotransferase (p=0.332). Conclusion: The patients with blood coagulation disorders had a greater prevalence of HCV infection in comparison with the general population in our region. The most common subgenotypes of HCV were 1a, and 3a, respectively. These results could assist professionals to choose more efficient approaches for the management of their patients. *Corresponding Author: Mohammad Reza Hedayati-Moghaddam; Email: [email protected] Please cite this article as: Badiei Z, Ahmadi-Ghezeldasht S, Sima HR, Habibi M, Khamooshi M, Azimi A, Hedayati-Moghaddam MR. The Prevalence of Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) Infection and Genotypes in Patients with Hemophilia and Other Blood Coagulopathies in Mashhad, Iran. Arch Med Lab Sci. 2021;7:1-7 (e9). https://doi.org/10.22037/amls.v7.3396

Prevalence of Serological Markers of Hepatitis B Virus Infection and Its Related Risk Factors in Pregnant Women Referred to the Medical Diagnostic Laboratory of ACECR in Neyshabur, during 2014-2015

Introduction Mother to child transmission is one of the most common modes of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. The risk of transmission will be as high as 90% if a seroactivity for HBeAg find in the mother. This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the prevalence of HBV serological markers in pregnant women referred to the Medical Diagnostic Laboratory of ACECR in Neyshabur, northeast of Iran. Materials and Methods From June 2014 to February 2015, the all pregnant women who referred for evaluation of HBV infection (n=1283) were enrolled. The serum samples were evaluated for HBsAg by ELISA test and further analyzed to detect other markers of the infection, including HBeAg, HBeAb, total HBcAb, and IgM HBcAb. Results HBsAg found in 1.09% (14/1283) of the participants. The total HBcAb test was positive in all cases; however, the IgM anti-HBc was positive in only two (14.3%) cases. Seropositivity for HBeAg and HBeAb were reported in 2 (14.3%) and 9 (64.28%) participants, respectively. Conclusion The prevalence of HBV infection in pregnant women in Neyshabur was lower than that in general population of Mashhad, capital city of Razavi Khorasan province, and general population of the whole of the country

Updates on the Epidemiology of the Human T-Cell Leukemia Virus Type 1 Infection in the Countries of the Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office of the World Health Organization with Special Emphasis on the Situation in Iran

Background: The epidemiology and prevalence of the Human T-cell leukemia virus type-1 (HTLV-1) infection represent a recommended priority by global health agencies. An in-depth revision to update the status of this infection in countries including those of the Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office (EMRO) of the World Health Organization is hence required. Methods: Ninety-seven studies evaluating the HTLV-1 infection in low- and high-risk populations in EMRO countries were retrieved from the international electronic databases and were used to assess the epidemiological status of the infection in these countries. Results: Most epidemiologic reports were published from Iran, with more than 50% of Iranian prisoners and around 4% of healthy individuals reported to have the infection. In Egypt, a considerable prevalence of the virus spans around 1.11% of blood donors. Foci of HTLV-1 infection are also present in some countries and require a careful epidemiological evaluation. In the other EMRO countries, a lower prevalence that does not exceed 1% was reported. Conclusion: The epidemiology and prevalence of HTLV-1 in the EMRO countries require a tight revision and update. Published studies reveal a scarce distribution of the virus in the African countries of EMRO, while a lower prevalence is denoted in the Asian countries of EMRO, except in Iran, where the prevalence is high

Updates on the Epidemiology of the Human T-Cell Leukemia Virus Type 1 Infection in the Countries of the Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office of the World Health Organization with Special Emphasis on the Situation in Iran

Background: The epidemiology and prevalence of the Human T-cell leukemia virus type-1 (HTLV-1) infection represent a recommended priority by global health agencies. An in-depth revision to update the status of this infection in countries including those of the Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office (EMRO) of the World Health Organization is hence required. Methods: Ninety-seven studies evaluating the HTLV-1 infection in low- and high-risk populations in EMRO countries were retrieved from the international electronic databases and were used to assess the epidemiological status of the infection in these countries. Results: Most epidemiologic reports were published from Iran, with more than 50% of Iranian prisoners and around 4% of healthy individuals reported to have the infection. In Egypt, a considerable prevalence of the virus spans around 1.11% of blood donors. Foci of HTLV-1 infection are also present in some countries and require a careful epidemiological evaluation. In the other EMRO countries, a lower prevalence that does not exceed 1% was reported. Conclusion: The epidemiology and prevalence of HTLV-1 in the EMRO countries require a tight revision and update. Published studies reveal a scarce distribution of the virus in the African countries of EMRO, while a lower prevalence is denoted in the Asian countries of EMRO, except in Iran, where the prevalence is high

Anemia as a Public Health Issue in Mashhad, Iran: Evidence from the First Population-Based Study

Anemia is one of the main conditions that impose an adverse impact on the socioeconomic state of any country; however, evidence on the prevalence of anemia is scant in Northeastern Iran. This study was conducted to determine the overall and age- and sex-specific prevalence of anemia in the city of Mashhad, Iran. In a cross-sectional, population-based survey, 1675 individuals aged 1-90 years (29.1±18.5 years) were selected from approximately 2.4 million residents by a multistage cluster sampling method during May to September 2009. Blood samples were evaluated to determine erythrocyte indices and anemia was defined according to hemoglobin (Hb) levels based on World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. The prevalence of anemia was 9.7% with considerable difference between both sexes; 6.2% and 12.7% in males and females, respectively (P<0.001). The higher prevalence of anemia was detected in females of 15-54 and ≥ 65 years old (16% and 12.5%, respectively). However, the higher rates were observed in males 65 years and older as well as boys below 5 years old (16.3% and 14.6%, respectively). Current findings show that anemia is a considerable public health problem in the population of Mashhad, Iran, especially among the pre-school children, adult women and the elderly. Great attention should be paid to the pre-school boys who are more affected by anemia than what was previously assumed

Comparison of Two Different Induction Doses of Atracurium in Myasthenia Gravis in Patients Undergoing Thymectomy

Introduction:yasthenia gravis is an autoimmune disorder resulting from a decreased number of active acetylcholine receptors at the neuromuscular junction. Thymectomy is one of its current treatments. Due to sensitivity of myasthenic patients to non-depolarizing muscle relaxants and also the interaction of this medication with anti-cholinestrase drugs, determining the dosage of non-depolarizing muscle relaxants for induction of anesthesia is one of the hurdles in thymectomy. Materials and Methods :20  myasthenic  patients undergoing  transsternal thymectomy were enrolled into the study.They were divided into two groups randomly, and received either 0.25 mg/kg or 0.50 mg/kg of atracurium to facilitate tracheal intubation. Neuromuscular blockade was measured using train of four (TOF) mode of neuromuscular stimulator 15 minutes after administration of atracurium and then each 5 minutes till entered the recovery phase. The time between injection of atracurium and the recovery phase was compared between the two groups. Results:The two groups were similar with respect to age and gender. The time from the onset of myasthenia gravis to surgery, dosage and duration of pyridostegmine used preoperatively were not significantly different between the two groups.The time from administration of atracurium to recovery phase was not significant between the two groups (P=0.24). Conclusion:There was no difference between two different doses of atracurium regarding entering the recovery phase, and as the effects of non-depolarizing muscle relaxants are unpredictable in myasthenic patients, we recommend the lower dose to prevent profound skeletal muscle weakness and postoperative complication