HEPATITIS-B AND HEPATITIS-C VIRUS-INFECTIONS IN TURKISH CHILDREN WITHCANCER

In this study, we tested 137 Turkish children with cancer (51 with acu te leukemia, 48 with lymphoma, 38 with solid tumors) while they were u ndergoing chemotherapy, and a control group of 45 for evidence of hepa titis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections using the e nzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The control group included children with other disease who had applied to the outpatient clinic during the study period and had no h istory of jaundice or transfusion. Sixty-five (47.4%) patients with ca ncer and 7 (20%) children in the control group were positive for hepat itis B surface antigen (HBsAg) (p < 0.01). HBV DNA was detected in 59 (43.1%) patients and in 9 (20%) controls (p < 0.01). HCV specific anti body (anti-HCV) was detected in 8 (5.8%) patients and in 1 (2.2%) cont rol (p > 0.05). Eight patients (5.8%) had circulating HCV RNA, but non e had in the control group (p = 0.09). Ten (13.9%) of the 72 patients who were negative for HBsAg had circulating HBV DNA, and 7 (5.4%) of t he 129 patients who were negative for anti-HCV had circulating HCV RNA . We concluded that HBV and HCV infections are common among Turkish ch ildren with cancer. In countries where HBV infection is widespread amo ng the general population as in Turkey, children with cancer are under greater risk for HBV infection.