Evaluation of prevalence and risk factors of hepatitis g virus infection among hemodialysis patients referred to Iranian army hospitals in tehran during 2012-2013.
BACKGROUND
GB virus C (GBV-C) or hepatitis G virus (HGV) is a newly discovered and enveloped RNA positive-stranded flavivirus-like particle, which has not yet been proven to have major negative effects on liver.


OBJECTIVE
Increasing the risk of blood-borne infections in hemodialysis patients is a main health care concern in different countries. Therefore, it is important to estimate the prevalence and risk factors of hepatitis G virus infection in Iranian hemodialysis patients to design standard prevention and treatment plans.


METHODS
In this multicenter observational or epidemiologic study, 138 patients who underwent hemodialysis in Iranian Army hospitals in Tehran were included. Serum HIV antibody (Ab), HCV antibody and HBS antigen (Ag) were assessed. Demographic data such as gender, age, blood group, cause of renal failure, dialysis onset and duration were collected from medical files. GBV-C/HGV was evaluated by nested reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method. Then, all data were analyzed by SPSS ver. 13.


RESULTS
In total, 81 males and 57 females were included. The mean age of patients was 62.16 ± 14.86 years. Six (4.3%) had positive results for GBV-C/HGV by RT-PCR. Except gender (P = 0.045) and duration of dialysis in a week (P < 0.001), other demographic factors revealed no significant difference (P > 0.05). All patients had negative results for HIV Ab, HCV Ab and HBS Ag.


CONCLUSIONS
Overall, 4.3% of patients had positive results for GBV-C/HGV and all negative for HIV, HCV and HBV. Further studies are needed to elucidate real prevalence, risk factors and characteristics of HGV infection in Iranian hemodialysis patients.
Department of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, AJA University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
Maryam
M
Dadmanesh
School of Medicine, AJA University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
Mohammad
M
Hosseinzadeh
Department of Virology, Faculty of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
Hossein
H
Keyvani
Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, AJA University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
Khodayar
K
Ghorban
School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
Maryam
M
Rahimi
School of Medicine, AJA University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
Mehdi
M
Hosseinzadeh
University of Tehran, Tehran, IR Iran.
Mohammad Mehdi
MM
Ranjbar
GB virus C; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Prevalence; Renal Dialysis; Risk Factors