INFECTION WITH HEPATITIS VIRUSES (B AND C) AND HUMAN RETROVIRUSES (HTLV-1 AND HIV) IN SAUDI CHILDREN RECEIVING CYCLED CANCER-CHEMOTHERAPY

Serological markers of hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV ), human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1), acid human immunod eficiency viruses (HIV-1 and HIV-2) were studied in 53 Saudi children (31 males, 22 females; 1-12 years of age) receiving cycled cancer chem otherapy and in 168 healthy Saudi children taken as control. Exposure to HBV in the patients was similar to that in the control (6 per cent HBsAg in patients v. 7 per cent in the control; 19 per cent exposure r ate in patients v. 20 per cent in control). None of our patients was v accinated against HBV prior to chemotherapy. The fact that among the 1 0 HBV exposed patients five patients were anti-HBs-positive is in favo ur of vaccinating Saudi oncology patients against HBV prior to chemoth erapy. In contrast to the situation with HBV the prevalence of anti-HC V in the patients (11 per cent) was significantly higher than that in the control (1 per cent) (P = 0.003). None of our patients or the cont rol were anti-HTLV-1 or anti-HIV-positive. The results of this study s tress the need for an awareness of HCV problem in Saudi oncology patie nts. Strict measures of screening blood donors for all blood-borne vir uses and, in particular, for HCV in addition to the use of disposable equipment in management of cancer patients are items that should be im plemented as soon as possible.