title: Seropositivity to hepatitis C virus in Tunisian haemodialysis patients.
abstract: The prevalence of anti-hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV) antibodies and of hepatitis B markers (HBs antigen, anti-hepatitis B core antigen) was assessed in 63 haemodialysis patients from the Tunisian Sahel. As measured by second generation ELISA assays (Ortho and Organon), the frequency of anti-HCV antibodies was 42% (27/63), while 4 patients (6.3%) were HBs Ag positive and 30 (47.6%) anti-HBc positive. Anti-HCV seropositivity was significantly correlated with duration of dialysis (p = 0.007) and number of blood transfusions (> 10 units, p = 0.0004). Among 12 subjects with a history of abnormal ALAT levels, 10 were anti-HCV positive (p = 0.0016) and the results suggest hepatitis C viral infection to be the main cause of liver disease in haemodialysis patients in Tunisia.
authors.affiliation: Centre Régional de Transfusion Sanguine, Laboratoire d'Hématologie, CHU Farhat Hached, Sousse, Tunisie.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jemni
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ikbel
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kortas
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mahjoub
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ghachem
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Bidet
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Boukef
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology*; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000453:epidemiology; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D014416:Tunisia / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D000410:Alanine Transaminase