Behavior of antibody profile against hepatitis C virus in patients on maintenance hemodialysis.
The prevalence of anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) in dialysis setting is still a nonstandard datum. In particular, it is not known of the phenomenon is stable or increasing or decreasing, even in a given geographical area. We studied the behavior of anti-HCV prevalence during a 12-month follow-up in 415 hemodialysis patients treated at a single institution and belonging to a limited geographical area with standard HCV endemic. Point prevalence of anti-HCV has shown a tendency to growth linked in part of the incidence of infection, in part to new positivities in patients already on dialysis treatment. More than 50% of the new HCV-positive patients, had no history of classical parenteral transmission of the virus. These findings suggest that HCV infection is a phenomenon on the increase in dialysis units and that dialysis treatment emerges as an independent risk factor in contracting infection.
Vandelli
L
L
Department of Nephrology and Dialysis, University of Modena, Italy.
Medici
G
G
Savazzi
A M
AM
De Palma
M
M
Vecchi
C
C
Zanchetta
G
G
Lusvarghi
E
E
D000368:Aged; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000635:transmission; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology*; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D006435:Renal Dialysis / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012307:Risk Factors; D014511:Uremia / Q000628:therapy
D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies