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Nephrol Dial Transplant (1992) 7: 327-332
© 1992 European Renal Association-European Dialysis and Transplant Association

research-article

Hepatitis C virus infection in chronic haemodialysis patients, a clinicopathologic study

Osman Alfurayh, Mohamed Sobh, AbdulRahman Buali, M. Ashraf Ali1, Yousri Barri, Wajeh Qunibi and Saadi Taher

Department of Medicine, Section of Nephrology, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre Riyadh, Saudi Arabia 1Department of Pathology/Laboratory Medicine, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Correspondence and offprint requests to: Dr Osman Alfurayh, Head, Section of Nephrology, Department of Medicine (MBC-46), King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, PO Box 3354, Riyadh 11211, Saudi Arabia

Fifty-two patients on regular haemodialysis at our institution were evaluated for the presence of HCV infection. Evaluation included detailed history, clinical examination, and monthly screening for anti-HCV antibody, liver enzymes (ALT, AST), serum iron and ferritin. Also, three-monthly screening for other viral markers, HBV (HBsAg, HBsAb, HBcAb), CMV (IgG and IgM), EBV, and HIV. Anti-HCV antibody was found in 21 patients (40.4%). There was a significant (P<0.05) relationship between presence of anti-HCV antibody and proportion of patients who received blood transfusion. During a 12-month follow-up, four (11.4%) patients seroconverted to be Anti-HCV positive while one case (4.8%) seroconverted to be anti-HCV negative. The frequency of elevation of liver enzymes was significantly higher in Anti-HCV positive cases (14/18) than in negative cases (11/28, P = 0.01). Evaluation of liver biopsies of 13 patients showed chronic persistent hepatitis in six and chronic active hepatitis in seven cases. We concluded that hepatitis C is a common problem among chronic haemodialysis patients at our institution; HCV infection is documented in 70% of all clinically diagnosed NANB hepatitis. Presence of anti-HCV antibodies cannot differentiate between active and past infection and cases with early HCV

Keywords: hepatitis C virus; dialysis


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