title: A 3-year follow-up of HCV-RNA viraemia in haemodialysis patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in a population of haemodialysed patients was studied over a 3-year follow-up period in order to evaluate the changes in viral RNA, diversity of genotypes, and serological response to synthetic HCV peptides.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-eight (32.9%) patients with anti-HCV antibodies from a total of 85 patients assigned to a haemodialysis unit were studied. The serological response to immunopeptides was evaluated by immunoblotting, viral RNA in serum was detected using the polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and genotyping was carried out by hybridization with probes fixed to nitrocellulose paper.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 28 haemodialysis patients who had anti-HCV antibodies, three (10.7%) were always RNA negative, six (21.4%) were always RNA positive, and 19 (67.8%) were variable RNA. There was an incomplete antibody response to non structural antigens in non-viraemic patients. Genotype was determined in 23 patients, and the other two could not be genotyped. The most common genotype was 1b (69.4%), followed by 1a (17.4%), and 2a, 3a, and 4a (each 4.4%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Haemodialysis patients, when followed up for a long time, frequently show an intermittent HCV viraemia state, suggesting that HCV cannot be evaluated adequately by isolated RNA determinations.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Microbiology, Puerto Real University Hospital, University of Cádiz, Spain.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Galán
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Pérez-Gracia
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lozano
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Benavides
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fernandez-Ruíz
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Iglesias
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005838:Genotype; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics*; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D014766:Viremia / Q000821:virology*
chemical_list: D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D012367:RNA, Viral