Occurrence of hepatitis B and C infection in pediatric patients with cancer at Alhadbaa Hospital in Mosul/Iraq
Hepatitis B and C in Pediatric Cancer Patients in Mosul
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29409/20hcxw96Keywords:
Pediatric oncology, Hepatitis B and C virus, Blood transfusion, Vaccination failure, iraqAbstract
Pediatric cancer patients face increased susceptibility to hepatitis B and C virus infection owing to immunosuppression resulting from the disease and its treatment, the frequent need for blood transfusions, and invasive procedures. This study sought to determine the prevalence of HBV and HCV infection within this community and identify correlated risk variables.
Cohort research was performed in the oncology unit of Alhadbaa Teaching Hospital in Mosul from December 1, 2014, to December 1, 2024. The study included 153 children (under 15 years) with cancer selected randomly for routine checkup at the outpatient clinic who were initially negative for HBV and HCV at diagnosis, and screening was performed every 3 months for HBV and HCV. Demographic data, cancer type, vaccination status (both routine and postdiagnosis), and blood transfusion history were collected.
Results: Over a follow-up duration of 10 years, all the children remained in follow-up, largely because of their families’ strong commitment to monitoring their health status, given the diagnosis of cancer. Twelve patients (7.8%) seroconverted to HBV-positive, and 2 patients (1.3%) acquired hepatitis C virus (HCV), culminating in a total incidence of hepatotropic viruses of 9.1%. Although higher proportions of HBV infection were observed among children who underwent blood transfusions and those who were unvaccinated or inadequately vaccinated, these associations did not reach statistical significance. The infection rate decreased relative to that reported in prior trials conducted in other countries. These results strongly support the stringent enforcement of universal blood product screening and meticulous aseptic procedures, importantly, at the time of cancer diagnosis for unvaccinated children.
Conclusion: This study revealed that the prevalence of hepatitis B infection among pediatric cancer patients in Mosul was not significantly associated with frequent blood transfusions and insufficient immunization coverage.
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Data Availability Statement
The datasets generated and/or analyzed during the current study are not publicly available due to patient confidentiality regulations but are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request and with permission from the relevant institutional authority.
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