Diffusion of HCV through peritoneal membrane in HCV positive patients treated with continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis.
OBJECTIVE
We evaluated the presence of HCV in the peritoneal effluents of viraemic patients treated with continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) to evaluate the risk of transmitting the infection with this procedure.


METHODS
Fifteen of 81 CAPD patients (18.5%) had anti-HCV antibodies and eight were viraemic. At the beginning of CAPD two of the viraemic patients had ascites with a clinical picture of chronic active hepatitis and cirrhosis. Peritoneal dialysates were collected after an overnight exchange with 1.36% glucose and after a 4-h exchange with 3.86% glucose. Fluids from the overnight exchange were spun to obtain a cellular pellet and the supernatant 100-fold concentrated.


RESULTS
No viral genome could be detected in unconcentrated samples and in cellular pellets, while HCV-RNA at low titre was detected in concentrated dialysates from the two patients with active liver disease.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings confirm that HCV may be present in the CAPD effluent of some patients; however, the titre of virus in the effluent was extremely low, at the limit of detection of the PCR assay. Peritoneal fluids originating from patients with HCV associated severe liver disease may be a potential source of infection.
Castelnovo
C
C
Divisione di Nefrologia e Dialisi, Università degli Studi, Milano, Italy.
Sampietro
M
M
De Vecchi
A
A
Corbetta
N
N
Cantù
M
M
Orlandi
A
A
Lunghi
G
G
Ponticelli
C
C
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001202:Ascitic Fluid / Q000821:virology; D004058:Diffusion; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications / Q000635:transmission* / Q000821:virology*; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010531:Peritoneal Dialysis, Continuous Ambulatory / Q000009:adverse effects*; D010537:Peritoneum / Q000821:virology*; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D014511:Uremia / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy
D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D012367:RNA, Viral