HEPATITIS C VIRUS AND LEUKEMIA PATIENTS: PREVALENCE AND RISK FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH INFECTION AMONG LEUKEMIA PATIENTS WHO ACHIEVE LONG-TERM REMISSION AFTER CHEMOTHERAPY

Monya Abdullah Yahya El-Zine; Yusra Ahmed Saleh Dawood; Maged Ali Amer Ali; Khaled Abdulkarim Al-Moyed; Eshrak Adulmalik Al-gunaid; Hassan Abdulwahab Al-Shamahy; Ahmed Mohammed Al-Haddad; Azhar Azher Mohammed Al-Ankoshy

doi:10.22270/ujpr.v9i4.1150

Monya Abdullah Yahya El-Zine Department of Histopathology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sana’a University, Republic of Yemen.
Yusra Ahmed Saleh Dawood Medical Microbiology department, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sana’a University, Republic of Yemen.
Maged Ali Amer Ali Department of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sana’a University, Republic of Yemen.
Khaled Abdulkarim Al-Moyed Medical Microbiology department, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sana’a University, Republic of Yemen. University of 21 September for Medical and Applied Sciences, Sana’a, Yemen.
Eshrak Adulmalik Al-gunaid The National Center of Public Health Laboratories (NCPHL), Sana'a, Yemen.
Hassan Abdulwahab Al-Shamahy Medical Microbiology department, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sana’a University, Republic of Yemen. Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, Sana’a University, Republic of Yemen.
Ahmed Mohammed Al-Haddad Department of Medical Laboratories, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Hadhramout University, Al-Mukalla, Republic of Yemen.
Azhar Azher Mohammed Al-Ankoshy Jabir Ibn Hayyan Medical University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Physiology, An-Najaf, Iraq.

10.22270/ujpr.v9i4.1150

Keywords:

Anti-HCV antibodies, associated odds factors, chemotherapy, HCV infections, leukemia, long-term remissions

Abstract

Aim and objective: Leukemia patients are at elevated risk of hepatitis C virus infections, with anti-HCV prevalence ranging from 4.3% to 70% post-chemotherapy remission. Long-term leukemia survivors' natural histories are unclear. We measured anti-HCV antibodies to investigate the frequency of HCV infections and the associated odds factors of contracting HCV among leukemia patients who achieved long-term remissions after chemotherapy.

Methods: This study is a cross-sectional study, comprising leukemia patients at the oncology center at Kuwait Hospital in Sana'a, Yemen. It included people with leukemia of different ages and genders. Data was collected through a standard questionnaire prepared for this study, which includes clinical symptoms, risk factors, demographic data, and the results of diagnostic tests. Antibody tests for the hepatitis C virus (HCV) were done by ELISA.

Results: The majority of patients with HCV are male, with a mean age of 12.8 years. The prevalence is 5.5%, with males having a higher prevalence. Most patients receive blood transfusions more than twice, with major blood banks, Al-Kuwait hospitals, and private hospitals being the primary sources. AML and ALL are the two most common leukemias. Male patients have a higher risk, and those over 15 years old have a higher risk.

Conclusions: This study is the first in Yemen to investigate the prevalence of HCV infections in patients with leukemia. According to our research, leukemia patients had a greater prevalence of HCV than the general population's national prevalence. However, health care workers (HCWs) and patients receiving maintenance hemodialysis (HD) patients have prevalence's of HCV that are comparable.