Risk factors associated with hepatitis B or C markers or elevated alanine aminotransferase level among blood donors on a tropical island: the Guadeloupe experience

Abstract

Donated blood is currently screened for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc), antibody to hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV), and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels to prevent posttransfusion hepatitis. A prospective study of 2368 blood donors was carried out in Guadeloupe (French West Indies) with a view to determining the risk factors associated with serologic abnormalities. Blood donors included in the study had to complete a questionnaire. Statistical analysis was performed on the data thus obtained: 571 donations (24%) were positive for at least one of the four analyzed markers. The results were that 3.2 percent were positive for HBsAg, 22 percent for anti-HBc, and 0.8 percent for anti-HCV, and 1.4 percent had ALT > or = 45 IU per L. A good correlation was found between anti-HCV and elevated ALT. Transfusion history and two socioeconomic categories (working class, military personnel) were found to be risk factors. Other risk factors were lifelong residence in Guadeloupe (with risk increasing with the number of years), birthplace and current residence in the southern part of the island, and the existence of gastrointestinal discomfort unrelated to viral hepatitis (odds ratio = 2.98). The results of this study illustrate the difficulty of implementing a preventive policy against posttransfusion hepatitis in a tropical area. The unique epidemiologic situation of Guadeloupe as regards hepatitis B virus has led to more restrictive criteria for the acceptance of blood donors.

A comprehensive hepatitis C virus risk factors meta‐analysis (1989–2013); Do they differ in Egypt?

“…Sharing razors (83,84), sharp objects (nail clippers, manicure cutters, scissors) (83), tooth brush (85), non-sharp objects (shower scrapper, towels, combs) (48,(86)(87)(88), and some folk medical practices including cupping/ventosed bloodletting (known in the Arab world as hijama) (37,(89)(90)(91), circumcision and ritual clitorodectomy (36,41,69,76,92) were studied as risk factors for HCV infection only in the late 1990s. Similarly, the role of barber was only addressed during the last decade.…”

Seroepidemiology of chronic hepatitis B and C in the French Caribbean Island of Guadeloupe

“…The most recent scientific data on the prevalence of viral hepatitis infections in Guadeloupe were reported by Fest et al [1,2] in 1993 among blood donors. They showed that hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) was present in 3.1%, hepatitis B core antibodies (anti-HBc) in 22.1% and anti-hepatitis C virus antibodies (anti-HCV) in 0.8% of the population.…”

Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) Genotypes in the Caribbean Island of Martinique: Evidence for a Large Radiation of HCV-2 and for a Recent Introduction from Europe of HCV-4

“…Data on HCV infection in the Caribbean region are scarce. A few studies have reported a similar HCV infection prevalence to that in the United States and Europe (2,6,11,16,35), but the HCV genotype distribution remains to be determined. A predominance of HCV subtype 1a has been described in the Dominican Republic (23) and in Puerto-Rico (30), but no information is available on HCV genotype distribution in the Lesser Antilles archipelago.…”