title: Effect of hepatitis C virus on C-reactive protein and interleukin-6 in hemodialysis patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Patients with end-stage renal disease are at a high risk of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections. These patients are on maintenance hemodialysis where they are exposed to dialysis fluid and dialysis membrane that generate an acute-phase response, which leads to inflammation, reflected in increased inflammatory markers like C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6). The aim of this study was to investigate levels of IL-6 and CRP in patients on hemodialysis and to determine effects of HCV on these markers.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 43 patients (39.5% men and 60.5% women; age range, 21 to 65 years) on maintenance hemodialysis for a period of at least 3 months were included. Twenty-four of them were HCV positive. Serum IL-6 and CRP were assessed in all patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of HCV-positive patients, 11 (45.8%) had high levels of CRP, while 13 (54.2%) had low levels and increased levels of IL-6 (1064 ± 544.2 pg/mL, P = .19). Of 19 HCV-negative patients, 13 (68.4%) had high levels of CRP, while 6 (31.6%) had low levels, and all these patients had low levels of IL-6, as compared to HCV-positive patients. No significant correlation was observed between the levels of CRP or IL-6 and the duration of dialysis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In our study, we found high serum IL-6 and CRP levels in HCV-positive hemodialysis patients, compared with HCV-negative ones. However, we failed to show the significance of these differences. More studies with large sample sizes and evaluation of the other inflammatory markers are warranted.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, University of Health Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan. immunology@uhs.edu.pk
authors.forename: Nadeem
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Afzal
authors.forename: Sarwar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Abbas
authors.forename: Azazmand
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arif
authors.forename: Khursheed
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Javeed
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology*; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood*; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000097:blood / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D006435:Renal Dialysis / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012307:Risk Factors; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D015850:Interleukin-6; D002097:C-Reactive Protein