HBV-DNA in hemodialysis patients infected by HCV

Abstract EN

End-stage renal disease patients on chronic hemodialysis (HD) patients are at risk for both hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, and they may coexist.

To determine the prevalence and clinical impact of HBV and HCV infection, we studied poly chain reaction (PCR) and reverse transcription (RT)-PCR on the blood samples of 90 HD patients in Kerman, Iran.

ELISA test was used to detect anti-HBc, anti-HBs and HBsAg.

We found that 30 out of 90 (33.3%) patients were PCR-RT-PCR positive for HCV-RNA.

No HBV-DNA (0%) was detected through the PCR study in both positive and negative HCV-RNA patient groups.

Though none of the samples was HBsAg positive, 10 (33.3%) HCV-RNA positive patients were anti-HBc positive, and 12 (40.7%) were anti-HBs positive.

We conclude that prevalence of hepatitis C infection is high in HD patients in our region, but not associated with active HBV infection.