The changing epidemiology of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in haemodialysis: European multicentre study.
BACKGROUND
The high prevalence of anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibodies in HD patients has been known since the early 1990s but its evolution over the last decade is poorly documented.


METHODS
All chronic HD patients from 15 Belgian units were tested at (re)start of HD and every 18 months for anti-HCV antibodies (ELISA 2 in May 1991 and November 1992, then ELISA 3 until May 2000). All chronic HD patients from HD units from eight other European countries, whose prevalence of anti-HCV (+) patients had been studied in 1991-1994 (and published except in one country), were tested for anti-HCV antibodies in 1999.


RESULTS
Anti-HCV (+) prevalence decreased (P<0.001) from 13.5 (1991) to 6.8% (2000) in the Belgian cohort (n = 1710). Prevalence also decreased (P<0.05) in the participating units from France (42-30%), Sweden (16-9%) and Italy (28-16%), tended to decrease in the participating units from UK (7-3%, P = 0.058) and Hungary (26-15%, P = 0.057) but did not change (NS) in the participating units from Germany (7 to 6%), Spain (5 to 12%) and Poland (42 to 44%). In the Belgian cohort, the prevalence of anti-HCV(+) at (re)start of HD did not change significantly over 1991-2000.


CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of anti-HCV(+) in HD has decreased markedly over the last decade in the participating units from most European countries. This decrease should reduce further the risk of nosocomial and occupational HCV infection in HD and ultimately contribute to improved long-term prognosis of HD patients and kidney graft recipients.
Jadoul
Michel
M
M.D., Cliniques Universitaires St Luc, Department of Nephrology, Université catholique de Louvain, Avenue Hippocrate 10, B-1200 Brussels, Belgium. jadoul@nefr.ucl.ac.be
Poignet
Jean-Louis
JL
Geddes
Colin
C
Locatelli
Francesco
F
Medin
Charlotte
C
Krajewska
Magdalena
M
Barril
Guillermina
G
Scheuermann
Ernst
E
Sonkodi
Sandor
S
Goubau
Patrick
P
D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D015995:Prevalence; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies