SynthesisBMC public health2020
The prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection in β-thalassemia patients in Pakistan: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in BMC public health, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 20 citations in OpenAlex.
- Hepatitis C distribution across diverse population groups in the Eastern Mediterranean Region: An umbrella review.PloS one · 2026Pooled it
- Pathogen Reduction of Transfused Blood Components-The End of the Beginning Rather than the Beginning of the End.Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Pathogen Safety Issues Around the "Blood Scandals" 1995-2024-A Perspective Built on Experience.Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Investigation of alloimmunization in beta-thalassemia major patients: a cross-sectional study.Annals of medicine and surgery (2012) · 2025Article
- Correlation Between Serum Ferritin and Degree of Hepatic Fibrosis on Fibroscan in Thalassemic Patients.Cureus · 2023Article
- A Novel Approach to Develop New and Potent Inhibitors for the Simultaneous Inhibition of Protease and Helicase Activities of HCV NS3/4A Protease: A Computational Approach.Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Prevalence and Molecular Evaluation of Hepatitis C Virus Infection among Multi-transfused Thalassemia Patients in South of Iran.Oman medical journal · 2022Article
- Prevalence of HBV and HCV infection in beta-thalassemia major patients of Tabriz city, Iran.New microbes and new infections · 2021Article
- Hyponatremia in Patients with Hematologic Diseases.Journal of clinical medicine · 2020Review
- Incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma in beta thalassemia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Hematology, transfusion and cell therapyArticle
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundHepatitis C virus infection is the most commonly reported bloodborne infection in Pakistan. Frequent blood transfusions in β-thalassemia patients expose them to a high risk of HCV infection. The purpose of this paper is to summarise the current data on the prevalence of HCV infection in β-thalassemia patients in Pakistan by using a systematic review and meta-analysis.
methodsPubMed, EMBASE, Web of Sciences, the Cochrane Library, Directory of Open Access Journal and local databases were systematically searched for studies published between January 1st, 1995 and May 31st, 2019. Meta-analysis was performed using the DerSimonian and Laird random-effects models with inverse variance weighting. The presence of publication bias was tested by Egger test, and the methodological quality of each included article was evaluated by the STROBE.
resultsWe identified a total of 229 potential studies, of which 27 studies were finally considered in the meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence of HCV in β-thalassemia patients in Pakistan was 36.21% (95% CI: 28.98-43.75%) based on 5789 β-thalassemia patients, but there was considerable heterogeneity. Meta-analysis estimated the HCV prevalence among the β-thalassemia patients at 45.98% (95% CI: 38.15-53.90%) in Punjab, 31.81% (95% CI: 20.27-44.59%) in Sindh, and 28.04% (95% CI: 13.58-45.26%) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Meta-regression analysis showed that geographical location was a key source of heterogeneity.
conclusionsThe pooled prevalence of HCV in β-thalassemia patients in Pakistan was more than one in three, and higher than in neighbouring countries. It varies regionally within the country. With the use of standard prevention procedures during blood transfusion, the risk of HCV transmission in β-thalassemia patients could be controlled and the prevalence of HCV in β-thalassemia patients reduced.
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