title: Hepatitis C antibodies in patients on peritoneal dialysis: prevalence and risk factors.
abstract: Our objective was to determine the prevalence of the antibody to hepatitis C (anti-HCV) in a population of end-stage renal failure patients on continuous peritoneal dialysis (CPD) and study the possible risk factors associated with anti-HCV seropositivity and seroconversion. A cross-sectional study included 155 adult patients enrolled in the CPD program in a single renal unit of a teaching hospital who were screened for anti-HCV by second-generation enzyme immunoassay, which was confirmed by recombinant immunoblot assay. Serum was also assayed for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). History of renal transplantation, blood transfusions, and exposure to hemodialysis was obtained from medical records. Ten of 155 patients (6.5%) in this study population were anti-HCV positive [anti-HCV(+)] and 11/155 (7.1%) were HBsAg positive; no patient was positive for both. All the anti-HCV(+) patients were on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD); no continuous cycling peritoneal dialysis (CCPD) patient was anti-HCV(+). Exposure to hemodialysis was a risk factor for anti-HCV seropositivity, with 7 out of 10 (70%) anti-HCV(+) patients having been on hemodialysis compared to 55/134 (41%) anti-HCV(-) (p < 0.05, Fisher's exact test). No difference was noted between anti-HCV(+) and anti-HCV(-) groups in relation to age, gender, duration on CPD, renal transplantation, or exposure to blood transfusions. Seroconversion occurred in only one patient after a mean observation period of 20 +/- 0.6 months. The prevalence of anti-HCV seropositivity in this population of CPD patients is 6.5%, and HBsAG 7.1%. Exposure to hemodialysis is a significant risk factor for development of anti-HCV seropositivity. Seroconversion rate appears to be low.
authors.affiliation: Department of Renal Medicine, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore.
authors.forename: G S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: D K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Roy
authors.forename: F Y
authors.initials: FY
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Thanaletchumi
authors.forename: K T
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Woo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001803:Blood Transfusion; D005260:Female; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000635:transmission; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010531:Peritoneal Dialysis, Continuous Ambulatory; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies