Avaliação de fatores de risco para infecção pelo vírus da hepatite C em candidatos à doação de sangue como potencial instrumento de redução de risco transfusional

Abstract

The viral hepatitis are the most important subject of public health, being caused by differents etiologic agents. Amongst these, we find the hepatitis C virus (HCV) that according to the World Health Organization (WHO) its affects about 123 millions of people world-wide, a prevalence of 2%. The main form of transmission is the exposition to infected blood. The HCV is part of Flaviviridae family, Hepacivirus genus, its possess 6 genotypes and multiples subtypes. In Brazil, the genotype 1 is observed in 70% of infected patients, followed by genotype 3 (25%) and genotype 2 (5%). Some risk factors are strongly related with the HCV transmission, amongst them: the utilization of sterilized glass syringe at home; the sharing of utensils of personal hygiene as shavers, tooth brush, pliers of manicure and cutting nails and; blood transfusion before 1993. The present study aimed to execute an epidemiologic inquiry about risk factors related with the HCV infection and determinate the anti-HCV seroprevalence in candidates of blood donation, in the State of Pará. The following risk factors were analyzed: the use of sterilized needles and syringes at home; the use of proper material of manicure and pedicure; the use of disposable blades in public environment; the accomplishment of invasive dental treatment and; the act of receiving blood transfusion before 1993. At the period of february/2008 to march/2009, 11.916 candidates to the blood donation process at HEMOPA Foundation were random placed, later divided in two groups: (1) with anti-HCV positive serology and; (2) with anti-HCV negative serology. The first group was constituted of 53 candidates with positive serology (0,4%) and the second of 11.863 candidates with negative serology (99,6%). The data analyses showed that the median age of the anti-HCV positive individuals were 35 years. It was observed that amongst individuals with positive serology, 36 were male (68%) and 17 were female (32%). Between candidates with negative serology, 9.250 were male (78%) and 2.613 were female (22%). The analyses of the studied risk factors showed that the use of glass syringe at home, the use of non-proper material of manicure and pedicure and the act of receiving blood transfusion before 1993 are significant factors to the HCV transmission into the population of candidates to blood donation, in the State of Pará. These findings will propitiate strategies to the reduction of transfusional hepatitis C.