Abstract

This study was designed to investigate the efficacy of HBV vaccination and also determine factors affecting on its response among Iranian patients with hemophilia and thalassemia. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is still proposed as a major public health problem which can lead to cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, and death. Recipients of blood and blood products such as patients with hemophilia and thalassemia can be at risk of HBV infection. In this cross-sectional study, 73 patients with hemophilia and 84 with thalassemia who attended in Tehran hepatitis centre, were randomly selected. Demographic data, time of last HBV vaccination, test results of HBsAb, HBsAg and HBcAb levels from patients' files were extracted. Effect of different factors like demographic data and elapsed time from last vaccination on its effectiveness was evaluated using SPSS software. Sixty-five (89) of hemophilia and 45 (53.6) of thalassemia patients were male. Mean age (standard deviation) was 28.05 (9.41) and 26.25 (5.06) years for hemophilia and thalassemia patients respectively. In hemophilia group 59 (80.8), and in thalassemia group 74 (88.1), had an effective response (HBsAb >= 10mIU/Lit) to HBV Vaccination. Among all of the evaluated factors, only elapsed time from last vaccination was significantly effective in the response to HBV vaccination in both hemophilia (more than 4 years) and thalassemia (more than 7 years) patients (P=0.02). Based on our data, checking HBsAb titer, booster doses, and revaccination are recommended every four and seven years in the hemophilia and thalassemia patients respectively.