Hepatitis B Surface Antigen in Nigerian Children with Sickle Cell Anaemia

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Abstract
The incidence of hepatitis B surface antigen amongst 170 sickle cell anaemia children in Enugu is similar to that in 116 control patients and to the incidence in the general population. None of the 11 sickle cell anaemia children who had hepatitis B surface antigen in their sera, had received any blood transfusion prior to the study. None had been hospitalised for severe jaundice. In Enugu, acute hepatocellular jaundice in children with sickle cell anaemia occurs mainly in males whereas we observed sex difference in the incidence of hepatitis B surface antigen in this study. The results of our study indicate that in Enugu as in other parts of Nigeria, blood transfusion is not a major mode of transmission of hepatitis B surface antigen. It also indicates that serum hepatitis is probably not a significant factor in the pathogenesis of hepatocellular jaundice in Nigerian children with sickle cell anaemia.

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