Leucopenia with HHV6 in Cancer Patient Receiving Chemotherapy

Abstract

The aim to study the relationship between leucopenia in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy that infected with HHV6. The study was conducted according to a cross sectional study and included the study population, the total number of 200 cases, the age of individuals between 1-95 years in Middle Euphrates Cancer Center in Najaf Governorate for the period between November 2020 to May 2021. Whole blood sample to investigate the leucopenia through a CBC test and serum sample to detect HHV6 Ag as well as anti-viral IgM, IgG antibody using ELISA The comparison included statistical analysis between positive and negative HHV6 IgM, HHV6 IgG, and HHV6 antigen in the two groups using the chi-sequer method. Our study included patients suffering from leucopenia, where the highest age group was (61-80), which gave (31,7%) cases for male. As for females, the highest age group (41-60) was given (37.2%). The study included three degrees of leucopenia (mild, moderate, and severe). The number of mild patients was (23%), the number of moderate patients was (24%), and the number of severe patients was (53%). The ELISA test aims to diagnose IgM, IgG, HHV6. The antibodies to HHV6-IgM were positive in cancer patients with leucopenia (53%), while antibodies to HHV6-IgM positive in cancer patients without leucopenia were (12%).

 The IgG antibody screening in cancer patients with leucopenia revealed that (61%) had positive results for HHV6-IgG antibodies. The same test was done for the second group. The test HHV6-IgG antibodies positive (15%) out of 100 samples. The HHV6-Ag was positive in cancer patients with leucopenia in (51%), While the HHV6-Ag was positive in cancer patients without leucopenia (11%). A statistical comparison was carried out between the research groups: the first group consisting of cancer patients with leucopenia and the second group of cancer patients without leucopenia. There are significant differences in the results between the first and second groups, as well as significant differences in the positive HHV6 IgM, HHV6 IgG, HHV6 antigen results between the first and second groups, as well as significant differences in the negative results between these two groups (P value < 0.5).