Hepatitis C infection in two urban hemodialysis units.
We determined the prevalence of antibodies to the hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV) in 90 patients and 37 staff members of two hemodialysis units utilizing a recently developed anti-HCV recombinant based assay. Eleven patients (12%) were anti-HCV(+). Of these, eight (73%) had antibodies to the hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) indicating prior hepatitis B infection; one patient was hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)(+). All staff members were anti-HCV(-), although seven (19%) of them were anti-HBc(+). Alanine aminotransferase elevations were present at the time of the study in four anti-HCV(-) patients and in only one anti-HCV(+) patient. All anti-HCV(+) (mean 59 +/- 74; range 3 to 269 units) and 85% of anti-HCV(-) patients (mean 16 +/- 27; range 0 to 204 units) had received multiple blood transfusions (P = 0.348). Among 50 patients tested for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), 43% of anti-HCV(+) as compared to only 7% anti-HCV(-) were positive (P = 0.003). There was a history of intravenous drug abuse (IVDA) in eight (72%) of the anti-HCV(+) patients and in only seven (9%) of the anti-HCV(-) group (P = 0.00001). The results of this serologic survey suggests that anti-HCV positivity is prevalent, although much less than anti-HBc, among our dialysis patients, whereas it was not detected among staff members. The prevalence rate of anti-HCV was statistically significantly higher among anti-HIV(+) and IVDA patients but not in multi-transfused patients.
Jeffers
L J
LJ
Department of Medicine, University of Miami School of Medicine, Emeryville, California.
Perez
G O
GO
de Medina
M D
MD
Ortiz-Interian
C J
CJ
Schiff
E R
ER
Reddy
K R
KR
Jimenez
M
M
Bourgoignie
J J
JJ
Vaamonde
C A
CA
Duncan
R
R
D000328:Adult; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005260:Female; D005431:Florida / Q000453:epidemiology; D006436:Hemodialysis Units, Hospital; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D006518:Hepatitis Viruses / Q000276:immunology; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006757:Hospital Units; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors
D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies