Transfusion Related Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) Infection in Sickle Cell Disease Patients

This study aimed to determine retrospectively, the prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection in relation to a background history of blood transfusion; through anti HCV antibody screening test, amongst adult sickle cell disease patients. Anti HCV antibody was tested for in the serum of 92 consecutively selected adult SCD patients using anti HCV detection test in serum rapid kit by Clinotech diagnostics which has a sensitivity of 99.4%. 13(14.1%) out of the 92 SCD patients were positive by anti HCV screening. All the 13 were HbSS patients and 12(92.3 %) had record of blood transfusion. 8 were males and 5 were females. The mean transfusion requirement amongst SCD patients was 2.1±2.2 units. Out of the total number of 92 SCD patients studied, 65 (70.7% %) had record of blood transfusion of various units of which 60 % of those transfused had at least up to 4 units of blood; while 27 (29.3% ) were never transfused. Conspicuously, HCV positive SCD patients had a background history of blood transfusion. Frequency of transfusion and HCV positivity is higher in HbS than HbSC. Since screening for anti-HCV antibody actually started in the year 1997, the cohorts of patients studied possibly had been transfused blood not screened for anti-HCV antibody.Anti- HCV positive SCD patients require thorough follow up to avert the complications attributable to HCV infection.