title: Prevalence of anti-HCV in patients on long-term hemodialysis.
abstract: The prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in patients with long-term hemodialysis (HD) in Japan was assessed using an Ortho HCV Antibody ELISA TEST system. Out of 51 patients, 48 of whom had a history of blood transfusions, 15 (29%) were positive for anti-HCV. This figure is much higher than that in other countries (1-20%), and the difference may reflect a select population. Six (33%) of 18 HD patients with chronic hepatic disease were anti-HCV positive. On the other hand, the prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) markers was 39% (20/51), and 7 (35%) of these 20 with HBV markers were also positive for HCV. The prevalence of anti-HCV showed no relation to the duration of HD treatment. Although a correlation between the prevalence and the blood units transfused was not demonstrated, anti-HCV positive patients had received blood transfusions amounting to significantly more units than those given to negative patients. Anti-HCV was detected in approximately one-third of patients with long-term HD, indicating a lower prevalence of HCV infection as compared to that of HBV infection, and patients with hepatitis of type C accounted for about one-third of HD patients with chronic hepatic disease.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Internal Medicine, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Oguchi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Terashima
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tokunaga
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kiyosawa
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Furuta
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kanno
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Aizawa
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nishioka
mesh_terms: D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000453:epidemiology; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D065227:Transfusion Reaction
chemical_list: D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies