Emechebe G O, Emodi I J, Ikefuna A N, Ilechukwu G C, Igwe W C, Ejiofor O S, Ilechukwu C A
Department of Paediatrics, Imo state University Teaching Hospital, Orlu.
Niger J Clin Pract. 2010 Sep;13(3):317-20.
Hepatitis B virus) infection is contracted through contact with body fluid of infected persons. Patients with sickle cell anaemia (SCA), a common haematological disorder in Nigeria, have tendencies to visit traditional healers who administer scarifications and ritual marks that may expose them to HBV infection.
To determine the demographic and socio-cultural characteristics of children with SCA infected with HBV at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital Enugu.
Two hundred and twenty one children aged 6 months to 17 years with SCA were recruited consecutively from October 2004 to April 2005. They were screened for HBsAg using ELISA method.
There was no statistically difference in hepatitis B surface antigenaemia among different age group (P = 0.907). Social class did not significantly influence the prevalence of HBsAg among subjects (p = 0.887). Socio-cultural practices like circumcision and scarification did not influence the prevalence of HBsAg, (p = 0.636) (p = 0.771) respectively. Significantly higher number of people from lowest socioeconomic class practice scarification (p = 0.0001).
Demographic and sociocultural factors do not appear to influence the prevalence of HBsAg among children with SCA in Enugu, Nigeria.
乙型肝炎病毒感染是通过接触感染者的体液而传播的。镰状细胞贫血（SCA）是尼日利亚一种常见的血液系统疾病，患有该病的患者倾向于去看传统治疗师，这些治疗师会进行划痕和仪式性标记，这可能会使他们接触到乙肝病毒感染。
确定在尼日利亚埃努古大学教学医院感染乙肝病毒的镰状细胞贫血患儿的人口统计学和社会文化特征。
2004年10月至2005年4月连续招募了221名年龄在6个月至17岁的镰状细胞贫血患儿。采用酶联免疫吸附测定法对他们进行乙肝表面抗原筛查。
不同年龄组之间乙肝表面抗原血症无统计学差异（P = 0.907）。社会阶层对研究对象中乙肝表面抗原的流行率无显著影响（P = 0.887）。包皮环切术和划痕等社会文化习俗分别对乙肝表面抗原的流行率无影响（P = 0.636）（P = 0.771）。来自社会经济最低阶层的人进行划痕的人数明显更多（P = 0.0001）。
在尼日利亚埃努古，人口统计学和社会文化因素似乎不会影响镰状细胞贫血患儿中乙肝表面抗原的流行率。
