The prevalence of serological markers of HBV and HCV were determined for blood donors in eastern Saudi Arabia. Between 1998 and 2001, 13,443 donors (10,778 Saudi and 2665 non-Saudi), were screened for HBsAg, anti-HBc Ab, and anti-HCV Ab using commercial kits. There was a steady decrease in the HBsAg (2.58 and 1.67%), anti-HBc rates (15.32 and 9.15%), and anti-HCV (1.04 and 0.59%) rates between 1998 and 2001, respectively. However, there was a marked difference between Saudi and non-Saudi donors with regard to anti-HBc (P < 0.001) and anti-HCV (P < 0.01), but not HBsAg prevalence rates in the same time period.

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These results further confirm the heterogeneity in FV-Leiden and PRT G20210A distribution among Arabs, and recommend potential institution of prophylactic measures for carriers of either or both SNPs.

The prevalence of factor V Leiden, prothrombin G20210A, and MTHFR C677T mutations were investigated among 87 Saudi sickle cell disease (SCD) patients (38 males and 49 females) and 105 healthy controls (65 males and 40 females). The prevalences of factor V Leiden (P = 0.174) and PRT G20210A (P = 0.397) were not different between patients and controls, thereby giving no support to an association of either single-point mutation with SCD. However, an increased prevalence of the MTHFR 677 T/T genotype was seen among patients (8/87) compared to controls (4/105), but this was not statistically significant (P = 0.217; OR = 2.56). This suggested a low impact of inherited hypercoagulability risk factors in the pathogenesis of SCD and/or its complications. Am.