Reduction of hepatitis C virus by dialysis membrane

Abstract

Recently, it has been reported that hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA levels in blood are reduced after a hemodialysis procedure and that HCV RNA levels in blood are significantly lower in hemodialysis patients than in nonuremic subjects. The present study was designed to examine whether there were differences in the reduction of HCV RNA levels in blood between different dialysis membranes used in a hemodialysis procedure in maintenance hemodialysis patients with HCV. Dialyzers made of polysulfone, ethylenevinylalcohol, polyacrylonitril, polymethylmethacrylate, cellulose diacetate, and cellulose triacetate were used. We took an aliquot of blood from blood tubing at the inlet and the outlet of each dialyzer to measure serum HCV RNA levels. Furthermore, the filtrate was concurrently collected to measure its HCV RNA level at the dialysis outlet. We found that serum HCV RNA levels were reduced when dialyzers made of polysulfone, polyacrylonitril, polymethylmethacrylate, cellulose diacetate, and cellulose triacetate were used. Particularly, serum HCV RNA levels were reduced significantly when dialyzers made of polymethylmethacrylate (P<0.05) and cellulose diacetate (P<0.1) were used. No HCV RNA was detected in the filtrate of any dialysis membrane. These results suggest that the reduction of hepatitic C viral particles in blood is different in each dialysis membrane used in a hemodialysis procedure, and that viral particles may be adsorbed onto the inner surface of the dialysis membranes.