title: Detection of hepatitis C infection by polymerase chain reaction among hemodialysis patients.
abstract: One hundred forty-five patients on regular hemodialysis (HD) at our institution were evaluated for the presence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Forty-three patients (29%) were found to have detectable antibodies to HCV using second-generation enzyme-linked immunosorbent and recombinant immunoblot assays. Forty positive patients (anti-HCV+) and 10 negative patients (anti-HCV-) were tested for direct detection of the HCV genome by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Twenty-one anti-HCV+ patients (52%) had detectable RNA HCV in plasma (PCR+). No anti-HCV- patient had viremia. In addition, we compared the 43 anti-HCV+ patients with the 102 anti-HCV- patients for duration of HD, history of blood transfusion, serologic markers of hepatitis B virus, and acute and chronic liver disease. On retrospective univariate analysis, statistically significant associations with anti-HCV+ were duration of HD (P = 0.0001), blood transfusions (P = 0.0005), co-infection with hepatitis B virus (P = 0.01), and acute and chronic liver disease (P = 0.06 and 0.01, respectively). Three significant variables (duration of HD, chronic hepatitis, and blood transfusions) of the multivariate analysis permit the classification of 65% of anti-HCV+ patients and 81% of anti-HCV- patients. In the anti-HCV+ group, when the same parameters were compared in PCR+ or PCR- patients, no statistical difference appeared. These results reveal that 52% of anti-HCV+ HD patients have HCV infection. The clinical consequences of HCV infection in that population are not characterized since no difference has been documented between PCR+ and PCR- results.
authors.affiliation: Service de Néphrologie et d'Hémodialyse, Hôpital Sainte-Marguerite, Marseille, France.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dussol
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chicheportiche
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Cantaloube
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Roubicek
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Biagini
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Berthézène
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Berland
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001483:Base Sequence; D016002:Discriminant Analysis; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015995:Prevalence; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D006435:Renal Dialysis
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral