Abstract
Introduction: Infections with hepatitis B and C viruses (HBV and HCV) are a major global health problem. Patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) on hemodialysis constitute a population at risk of HBV and HCV infections. Objective: Determining prevalence of the surface antigen of hepatitis B virus (HBsAg) and antibodies to hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV) in patients who attended dialysis units in the city of Posadas (Argentina). Materials and methods: The studied population comprised 172 patients with CRF in hemodialysis. HBsAg and anti-HCV antibodies were evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results: On a total of 172 hemodialysis patients included in the study, 98 were males (57%) and 74 were females (43%), aged between 12 and 85 years (mean 53.4). 8.7% (15/172) of the patients were positive for HBsAg and 9.9% (17/172) were positive for anti-HCV reagents. 72.1% of patients had a hemodialysis treatment time of less than 5 years. A history of having received previous transfusions was observed in both HBsAg positive cases (7/15) and the anti-HCV positive cases (5/17). Elevated transaminase levels were observed in patients with positive and negative serology. Conclusion: The results of this study demonstrate a high prevalence of serological markers for HBV and HCV in patients with CRF on hemodialysis in city of Posadas (Argentina), as compared to cities in developed countries.
Highlights
Infections with hepatitis B and C viruses (HBV and hepatitis C virus (HCV)) are a major global health problem
Infections with hepatitis B and C viruses (HBV and HCV, respectively) are a major global health problem affecting 240 million people who suffer from chronic HBV infection and about 150 million who suffer from HCV infection[1,2]
The cause of chronic renal failure (CRF) in patients on hemodialysis was unknown in 31.4% of the cases, followed by diabetic nephropathy (22.1%)
Summary
Infections with hepatitis B and C viruses (HBV and HCV) are a major global health problem. Patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) on hemodialysis constitute a population at risk of HBV and HCV infections. Conclusion: The results of this study demonstrate a high prevalence of serological markers for HBV and HCV in patients with CRF on hemodialysis in city of Posadas (Argentina), as compared to cities in developed countries. Infections with hepatitis B and C viruses (HBV and HCV, respectively) are a major global health problem affecting 240 million people who suffer from chronic HBV infection and about 150 million who suffer from HCV infection[1,2]. Patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) on hemodialysis are at high risk of contracting viral infections with HBV and HCV, the most common cause of liver disease in these patients[4,5]. In developed countries the prevalence of HBV in patients treated with hemodialysis is 1%9, while in developing countries the prevalence ranges from 2% to 20%4,10,11
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