Screening for human immunodeficiency virus type 1 and 2 in a Turkish blood donor population

Seroprevalence and genotyping of hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV among healthy population and Turkish soldiers in Northern Cyprus

AIM: To compare the prevalence of hepatitis viral markers among soldiers from Turkey, blood donors from Northern Cyprus, and soldiers from Northern Cyprus.

METHODS: Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), anti-HCV and anti-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) seroprevalence, HBV DNA, HCV RNA and HCV genotyping among soldiers from Turkey (groupI), civil blood donors from Northern Cyprus (group II), and soldier candidates from Northern Cyprus (group III) were studied and compared to one another. In total, 17 545 cases (13 546 males and 3999 females with a mean age of 34.5 ± 10.3 year, groupI= 11 234, group II = 5057, and group III = 1254) were included into the study.

RESULTS: Among all cases, HBsAg positivity rates were 2.46%, anti-HCV was 0.46% and anti-HIV was 0.00%. HBV DNA was 2.25%, HCV RNA was 0.33% in all groups. HBsAg positivity rates were 2.16% in groupI, 3.00% in group II and 2.71% in group III. There was a significant difference between groupIand group II (χ² = 6.11, P = 0.047 < 0.05). Anti-HCV positivity rates were 0.45% in groupI, 0.45% in group II, and 0.56% in group III. Genotypes of HCV were 1b and 1a in groupI, 1b, 1a and 2 in group II, and 1b, 1a in group III. HBsAg carrier rates were 2.20% in females and 2.53% in males. Anti-HCV prevalence was 0.38% in females and 0.48% in males. HBsAg positivity rates were 2.53% in individuals younger than 50, and 1.47% in older than 50. There was a significant difference between the two groups (χ² = 23.48, P = 0.001).

CONCLUSION: Prevalences of HBsAg, HCV and HIV infections in Northern Cyprus population are similar to those of Turkey.

Extrapulmonary tuberculosis in high prevalence of tuberculosis and low prevalence of HIV

The authors' data show a higher rate of pleural and meningeal involvement among extrapulmonary TB cases than expected by previous works. Special attention should be given to tuberculous meningitis cases among all extrapulmonary TB cases because of its high mortality rate. The most common extrapulmonary involvement is pleural. Pleural involvement is most common among the young male military service personnel. These data underscore the importance of determining pleural involvement among extrapulmonary TB cases and emphasize the need to consider clinic and epidemiologic differences in the diagnosis and evaluation of extrapulmonary TB. Finally, it seems unlikely that HIV infection currently has a role in the cause of extrapulmonary TB in the authors' region.