title: Hepatitis C virus infection in hemodialysis patients in Maracaibo, Venezuela.
abstract: Over a two year period, the incidence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection was evaluated in 29 hemodialysis patients, aged between 15 and 75 years (mean ± SD: 45 ± 39.5 years), from the University Hospital Hemodyalisis Unit, Maracaibo, Zulia State, Venezuela. Anti-HCV antibodies were determined using a fourth generation ELISA (Innotest HCV Ab IV) kit and positive blood samples were tested using a recombinant assay kit (Inno-LIA HCV Ab III), both kits from Innogenetics N.V., Belgium. The findings indicate a lack of HCV seroconversion in the hemodialysis patients over the study period, confirmed by the recombinant assay. Risk factors for HCV infection were 0.3270 (95% confidence interval: 0.01323-8.080) in patients undergoing hemodialysis. The findings suggest a lack of significant sources for HCV infection due to the preventive measures to avoid its transmission in the hemodialysis unit.
authors.affiliation: Escuela de Bioanálisis, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad del Zulia, Maracaibo, Venezuela. monsalve22000@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Francisca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Monsalve-Castillo
authors.forename: Liliana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gómez-Gamboa
authors.forename: Leonor
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chacín-Bonilla
authors.forename: Leticia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Porto-Espinoza
authors.forename: Luciana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Costa-León
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D015994:Incidence; D008875:Middle Aged; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D014687:Venezuela / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies