INTERACTION OF HEPATITIS-B AND HEPATITIS-C INFECTION IN HEMOPHILIA

The management of haemophilia has been greatly complicated by the clin ical sequelae of viral infection acquired through contaminated blood p roducts. Many haemophiliacs have been infected by several viruses and the interaction between these viruses may be complex. In a cohort of 4 2 anti-HCV positive haemophiliacs, five were also found to be positive for HBsAg. All five were HCV reverse transcriptase/PCR negative compa red to the 4/37 (11%) anti-HCV positive haemophiliacs who were HBsAg n egative (P=0.0001). We have identified a striking interaction between hepatitis C (HCV) and hepatitis B (HBV) in haemophiliacs co-infected b y these agents, suggestive of the phenomenon of viral interference.