anti-HCV Seropositive Patients Research Articles

Patient-centered and integrated outreach care for chronic hepatitis C patients with serious mental illness in Taiwan.

Patients with serious mental illness have a higher risk of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection but suboptimal HCV care. The current study aimed to facilitate HCV treatment uptake by implementing an integrated outreach care model. Multidisciplinary outreach screening followed by HCV reflex testing and onsite treatment for schizophrenia patients was accomplished through the coordination of nongovernmental organizations, remote specialists, and local care providers. The objective was microelimination effectiveness, defined as the multiplication of the rates of anti-HCV antibodies screening, accurate HCV RNA diagnosis, treatment allocation, treatment completion, and sustained virological response (SVR12; no detectable HCV RNA throughout 12 weeks in the post-treatment follow-up period). A total of 1478 of the 2300 (64.3%) psychiatric patients received HCV mass screening. Seventy-three (4.9%) individuals were seropositive for anti-HCV antibodies. Of the 73 anti-HCV seropositive patients, all (100%) received HCV reflex testing, and 29 (37.7%) patients had HCV viremia. Eight patients (34.8%) had advanced liver disease, including 3 with liver cirrhosis and 2 with newly diagnosed hepatocellular carcinoma. Twenty-three of the 24 (95.8%) patients who stayed in the healthcare system received and completed 8 weeks of glecaprevir/pibrentasvir treatment and post-treatment follow-up without significant DDIs or adverse events. The SVR12 rate was 100%. The microelimination effectiveness in the current study was 61.6%. Individuals with serious mental illness are underserved and suffer from diagnostic delays. This patient-centered and integrated outreach program facilitated HCV care in this marginalized population.

Comparison of anti-HCV seroprevalence of patients who underwent cataract surgery and other ophthalmic procedures

Aims: The aim of this study is to evaluate the Anti-HCV seroprevalence in patients who underwent cataract surgery and to compare the prevalence with other ophthalmic surgery procedures. 
 Methods: Patients who underwent ophthalmic surgeries between January 2017 and January 2023 and were preoperatively screened for anti-HCV by ELISA test were included in this study. Patients who underwent cataract surgery formed the study group and other patients were compared as the control group. All data were obtained from the database of the institute and were retrospectively evaluated. 
 Results: A total of 15799 cases were included in the study, and 69.9% had cataracts whereas 30.1% had non-cataract surgery. The mean age of the patients was 63.24±16.04 years. The rate of Anti-HCV seropositive patients was 0.48% (n=53) in the cataract surgery group, and 0.42% (n=20) in those who had non-cataract surgery. However, the difference was not statistically significant (p=0.696). The overall rate of Anti-HCV seropositive cases was %0.46. 
 Conclusion: Even though there was no significant difference between the two groups, the Anti-HCV was positive for almost 1 in 200 ophthalmic procedures. We strongly recommend preoperative screening due to the severity of HCV infection and the risk of surgical transmission.

Collaborative Referral Model to Achieve Hepatitis C Micro-Elimination in Methadone Maintenance Treatment Patients during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Although hepatitis C virus (HCV) prevails in patients receiving methadone maintenance treatment (MMT), most do not receive anti-HCV therapy. This single-center observational study aimed to achieve HCV micro-elimination at an MMT center during the COVID-19 pandemic using a collaborative referral model, which comprised a referral-for-diagnosis stage (January 2020 to August 2020) and an on-site-diagnosis stage (September 2020 to January 2021). A multidisciplinary team was established and all MMT center patients were enrolled. HCV micro-elimination was defined as >90% of HCV-infected patients diagnosed and >80% of HCV-viremic patients treated. A total of 305 MMT patients, including 275 (90.2%) anti-HCV seropositive patients, were enrolled. Among 189 HCV-infected patients needing referral, the accumulative percentage receiving HCV RNA testing increased from 93 (49.2%) at referral-for-diagnosis stage to 168 (88.9%) at on-site-diagnosis stage. Among 138 HCV-viremic patients, the accumulative percentage receiving direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy increased from 77 (55.8%) at referral-for-diagnosis stage to 129 (93.5%) at on-site-diagnosis stage. We achieved an HCV RNA testing rate of 92.4% (254/275), an HCV treatment rate of 95.8% (203/212) and a sustained virological response rate of 94.1% (191/203). The collaborative referral model is highly effective in HCV RNA testing and HCV treatment uptake among MMT patients, achieving HCV micro-elimination.

Outcome of Direct Acting Antiviral Drugs (DAADs) for Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) in the Setting of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) in Upper Egypt

Abstract Background The frequency of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection remains high in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and plays a detrimental role in mortality in this population, Patients on maintenance dialysis remain at risk of acquiring hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and the prevalence of anti-HCV seropositive patients undergoing long-term hemodialysis is significantly greater than in those with normal kidney function. Aim and objectives the aim of the study was to assess outcomes (efficacy, side effects, and possible complications) of DAADs for HCV in presence of CKD, Subjects and methods this was retrospective cohort study that was conducted at Aswan Fever Hospital and Luxor fever hospital for anti HCV therapy between Jan 2018 and July 2018 including 60 patients with all stages of CKD whom receiving DAADs were be recruited from both Aswan fever hospital and Luxor fever hospital, Results the results revealed that Patient’s PC (%) in patients from Aswan was ranged between 61-100 with mean±S.D. 83.09±9.258 while in patients from Luxor was ranged between 66-100 with mean±S.D. 84.95±6.764. There was no statistically significant difference between groups where P = 0.458, Patient’s HCV PCR in patients from Aswan at baseline show that all patients were positive while after 3 months 27(90%) were negative and 3(10%) were positive and after 6months all patients were negative while in patients from Luxor all patients were positive while after 3 months 28(93.3%) were negative and 2(6.7%) were positive and after 6 months all patients were negative. There was no statistically significant difference between groups Conclusion Treatment with newer DAAs is effective and safe for the treatment of HCV-infected chronic kidney disease patients,

Genetic variants associated with serum alanine aminotransferase levels among patients with hepatitis C virus infection: A genome-wide association study.

Information on genetic variants associated with elevated serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels remains limited. A genome-wide association study was performed to identify single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with ALT levels. The ALT-associated SNP was further evaluated for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) risk. A cohort of 892 anti-HCV seropositive patients was used for genome-wide SNP array to examine the associations with baseline ALT levels. SNPs <10-5 were further tested for associations with serial ALT levels then validated in 486 anti-HCV seropositives. Multinomial logistic regressions were used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals of SNPs associated with ALT. The SNP was evaluated for HCC risk by using Cox's proportional hazards models. After quality control, 803 participants with 564,464 SNPs were included in the analysis. Of these, 12 SNPs were associated with ALT (p<10-5 ). Among the participants, 158 (19.7%) had ALT persistently ≤15 U/L, 327 (40.7%) ever >15 U/L but never >45 U/L, and 318 (39.6%) ever >45 U/L during follow-up. The rs568800 was associated with serial ALT levels, and this was replicated in the external population significantly (p<.05). The A allele (vs C) of rs568800 was associated with ALT >15 U/L but ≤45 U/L and ALT >45 U/L, with the adjusted ORs of 1.41 (1.11-1.78) and 1.86 (1.34-2.60), respectively. The adjusted HRs for HCC were 2.09 (0.90-4.89) for AC and 2.64 (1.13-6.17) for AA (CC as a reference). In conclusion, the rs568800 was associated with serum ALT levels and HCC risk. Clinical utility should be evaluated among patients who have received antivirals.

Scaling up the in-hospital hepatitis C virus care cascade in Taiwan.

Background/AimsObstacles exist in facilitating hepatitis C virus (HCV) care cascade. To increase timely and accurate diagnosis, disease awareness and accessibility, in-hospital HCV reflex testing followed by automatic appointments and a late call-back strategy (R.N.A. model) was applied. We aimed to compare the HCV treatment rate of patients treated with this strategy compared to those without.MethodsOne hundred and twenty-five anti-HCV seropositive patients who adopted the R.N.A. model in 2020 and another 1,396 controls treated in 2019 were enrolled to compare the gaps in accurate HCV RNA diagnosis to final treatment allocation.ResultsThe HCV RNA testing rate was significantly higher in patients who received reflex testing than in those without reflex testing (100% vs. 84.8%, P<0.001). When patients were stratified according to the referring outpatient department, a significant improvement in the HCV RNA testing rate was particularly noted in patients from non-hepatology departments (100% vs. 23.3%, P<0.001). The treatment rate in HCV RNA seropositive patients was 83% (83/100) after the adoption of the R.N.A. model, among whom 96.1% and 73.9% of patients were from the hepatology and non-hepatology departments, respectively. Compared to subjects without R.N.A. model application, a significant improvement in the treatment rate was observed for patients from non-hepatology departments (73.9% vs. 27.8%, P=0.001). The application of the R.N.A. model significantly increased the in-hospital HCV treatment uptake from 6.4% to 73.9% for patients from non-hepatology departments (P<0.001).ConclusionsThe care cascade increased the treatment uptake and set up a model for enhancing in-hospital HCV elimination.

Hepatitis C screening in hospitals: find the missing patients

BackgroundHepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is one of the leading causes of liver cancer, creating enormous economic and social burdens. The Chinese government recommends routine screening of inpatients for HCV before invasive procedures to prevent iatric infections. However, the diagnosis and treatment rates for HCV remain low. The aim of this study was to use available routine screening data to understand the HCV screening of inpatients in different regions of China.MethodsInpatient information and HCV screening results were collected from January 2016 to December 2016 at eight tertiary hospitals in different regions of China to compare the HCV-positivity of hospitalized patients among different regions and age groups.ResultsThe HCV screening rate of inpatients was more than 50%. A total of 467,008 inpatients were enrolled in the study (51.20% were male), and the HCV antibody (anti-HCV) -positive rate was 0.88% (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.85–0.91%) among the total population. This rate was significantly higher among all males compared with all females (0.91% vs 0.85%). Moreover, the HCV antibody-positive rate increased with age and was highest for the 60–64-year age group. Notably, 90.14% (3722/4129) of the anti-HCV seropositive patients were 40 years of age or older. HCV screening for people over 40 years old is recommended.ConclusionsThis study highlights the key role of routine examination for HCV infection in hospitalized patients. Full use of inpatient screening results to manage HCV antibody-positive patients and a screening strategy targeting inpatients 40 years and older were found to be low-cost and effective, which will help to find the missing millions of yet unaware patients and also accelerate the elimination of HCV in China.

Performance of the OraQuick Hepatitis C virus antibody test in oral fluid and fingerstick blood before and after treatment-induced viral clearance

BackgroundA reliable population screening strategy for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection may be based in easy-to-use point-of-care (POC) tests for HCV antibodies, but validation data is needed before their potential widespread use in primary care or outreach practice. Besides, the sensitivity of these POC tests in patients with spontaneous or treatment-induced viral clearance is unknown. ObjectivesTo test the performance of a non-invasive POC anti-HCV test (OraQuick HCV rapid test) in oral mucosal transudate (OMT) and fingerstick blood from patients with known anti-HCV serostatus and with or without active viremia (after treatment-induced clearance). Study designA risk factor questionnaire was collected from 317 consecutive patients (anti-HCV positive/HCV-RNA positive n = 107; anti-HCV positive/HCV-RNA negative after antiviral treatment n = 107; anti-HCV negative with other liver diseases n = 109) before performing the OraQuick HCV rapid test in OMT (n = 317) and fingerstick blood (n = 251). We calculated the sensitivity and specificity of the test by using anti-HCV serostatus as the reference gold-standard. ResultsAmong all anti-HCV seropositive patients, the clinical sensitivity and specificity of the OraQuick HCV rapid test in OMT was 89.9% and 100%, respectively. In fingerstick blood, the sensitivity improved to 98.8%. The sensitivity was higher in OMT (97.2%) in anti-HCV seropositive patients who were viremic as compared to that in non-viremic individuals (82.2%). In contrast, there were no significant differences in sensitivity between viremic and non-viremic individuals when testing fingerstick blood. Finally, extension of the read time to 40 min enhanced the sensitivity, especially in OMT (up to 94.7%) and in the subgroup of non-viremic, anti-HCV-positive patients (up to 90.1%). ConclusionsThe OraQuick HCV rapid test in OMT has a high sensitivity and specificity for detecting active HCV infection that decreases substantially in anti-HCV positive/HCV-RNA negative patients with treatment-induced viral clearance. For these individuals, extension of read times and testing fingerstick blood showed improved sensitivity.

The Pattern of Parasite Density, Plasma Total Bile Acids and Lactate Dehydrogenase in Plasmodium Infected Patients in Rural Community

<b>Background to the study: </b>Pathophysiology of Plasmodium (vivax, ovale, falciparum and malariae) infection involves liver. Liver dysfunction and destruction of tissues could be indicated by the plasma level of Total Bile Acid (TBA) and Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH). <b>Aim and Objective:</b> This work was designed to evaluate the pattern of parasite density, plasma total bile acids, and Lactate dehydrogenase in Plasmodium infected patients in rural community. <b>Materials and Methods:</b> The study was carried out in Kishi, the Headquarter of Irepo Local government area of Oyo state - Nigeria. Seven hundred and nine (709) subjects (Female: n=403: male: n=306) aged 5 to 68 years were tested for Plasmodium infection using Giemsa- thick film technique. The overall prevalence of Plasmodium infection among the seven hundred and nine subjects screened was found to be 29.1% (206) including 12.97% (92) HIV, HBsAg and anti-HCV seronagative patients and 16.1% (114) HIV, HBsAg or anti-HCV seropositive patients. Ninety two (92 (12.97%)) that were HIV, HBsAg and anti-HCV seronagative(female-58 (63.0%); male-34 (37%)) were recruited out of 206 (29.1%) that were found to be infected with plasmodium spp for the study. None of the subject was jaundiced as at the time of sample collection. Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and anti-HCV tests were carried out by Enzyme Linked Immunozorbent Assay (ELIZA). HIV screening and confirmation were carried out by immuno-chromatographic and Immunobloting (Western blot) assays respectively. Fasting Plasma Total Bile Acids (TBA) and Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH) were analyzed in the patients biochemically by spectrophotometry. <b>Result:</b> The result obtained showed an overall prevalence of Plasmodium infection as 29.1% (206) (female: 107 (52%); male: 99 (48%)) including 12.97% (92) (Female: 58 (63.0%) Male: 34 (37%)) that were HIV, HBsAg and anti-HCV seronagative and 16.1% (114) (Female: 61 (53.5%); Male: 53 (46.5%)) were co-infected with at least one of HIV, HBV or HCV. The plasmodium infected subjects were grouped into three based on the parasite density such as: patients with parasite density of 50-499; 500-999 and ≥1000. The mean value of the parasite density of each group was correlated with the plasma level of LDH and TBA. In all groups there was a strong positive correlation(R=1; R2 =1) between the plasma TBA, LDH and plasmodium parasite density. The pattern of parasite density obtained in the rural community studied include 45.7% had a mean parasite density of 282±12.0; 43.5% (853±31.0) and 10.9% (1130±61.0). There was also a statistical significant increase in the mean value of LDH and TBA with increase in parasite density with p<0.05. <b>Conclusion:</b> This work showed an overall prevalence of 29.1% (206) plasmodium infection including 16.1% (114) of the patients co-infected with at least one of HIV, HBV or HCV. The plasma level of LDH and TBA was also found to be positively correlated and directly proportional to the parasite density. Evaluation of these parameters is therefore recommended for effective control and management.

Cellular immune responses and occult infection in seronegative heterosexual partners of chronic hepatitis C patients

It is unknown whether hepatitis C virus (HCV)-specific cellular immune responses can develop in seronegative sexual partners of chronically HCV-infected patients and whether they have occult infection. Thirty-one heterosexual partners of patients with chronic HCV were studied, fifteen of them with HCV transmission risks. Ten healthy individuals and 17 anti-HCV seropositive patients, without viremia, were used as controls. Virus-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell responses were measured by flow cytometry against six HCV peptides, situated within the nonstructural (NS) proteins NS3, NS4 and NS5, through intracellular detection of gamma interferon (IFN-γ) or interleukin 4 (IL-4) production and CD69 expression. Sexual partners had a higher production of IFN-γ and IL-4 by CD4+ cells against NS3-p124 (P = 0.003), NS5b-p257 (P = 0.005) and NS5b-p294 (P = 0.012), and CD8+ cells against NS3-p124 (P = 0.002), NS4b-p177 (P = 0.001) and NS3-p294 (P = 0.004) as compared with healthy controls. We observed elevated IFN-γ production by CD4+ T cells against NS5b-p257 (P = 0.042) and NS5b-p294 (P = 0.009) in the sexual partners with HCV transmission risks (sexual, professional and familial altogether) than in those without risks. RNA was extracted from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), and detection of HCV-RNA positive and replicative (negative) strands was performed by strand-specific real-time PCR. In four sexual partners, the presence of positive and negative HCV- RNA strands in PBMC was confirmed. Hence, we found an HCV-specific cellular immune response as well as occult HCV infection in seronegative and aviremic sexual partners of chronically HCV-infected patients.

Distribution of Hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotypes in seropositive patients in the state of Alagoas, Brazil.

We determined the frequency of hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotypes in anti-HCV seropositive patients in the state of Alagoas, Brazil, by means of nested-reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-nested-PCR) followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) of amplified fragments of the 5´NCR. The nested-PCR with genotype-specific primers from the core region was carried out when detection was not possible by the first approach. Detectable HCV-RNA was present in 115 (74.7%) of 154 serum samples. Genotype 1 was the most frequent (77.4%), against 20.9% of genotype 3 and 0.8% of genotype 2. Subtype 1b was predominant (65.2%), followed by subtypes 1a (8.7%), and 3a (6.1%). Coinfection (1a/3a) was detected in 0.8% of the samples. Indeed, there was no significant differences in the prevalence of genotype 1 compared to what has been obtained from anti-HCV seropositive patients from other locations in Brazil. Here we report for the first time the genotype 2 in the state of Alagoas.

Reasons for Stopping Antiretrovirals Used in an Initial Highly Active Antiretroviral Regimen: Increased Incidence of Stopping due to Toxicity or Patient/Physician Choice in Patients with Hepatitis C Coinfection

Low adherence and toxicities among HIV-positive patients starting highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) can lead to discontinuation of therapy and treatment failure. Little is known about hepatitis C (HCV) status and discontinuation of HAART. Poisson regression was used to determine factors related to discontinuation of any part of an initial HAART regimen due to treatment failure (TF) or toxicities and patient/physician choice (TOX), and to investigate the relationship between HCV and discontinuation of a HAART regimen in 1198 patients staring HAART after 1999 from the EuroSIDA study. At 1 year after starting HAART, 70% of patients remained on their original regimen, 24% had changed, and 6% were off all treatment. The most frequent reason for discontinuation was toxicities (30.4%). There was no change over time in the proportion of patients discontinuing after stratification by reason for discontinuation (p = 0.18). Of patients 190 stopped at least one antiretroviral drug used in their initial HAART regimen due to toxicities; the toxicity reported did not vary according to HCV status (p = 0.90). Anti-HCV seropositive patients had a higher incidence of discontinuation due to TOX (IRR 1.46, 95% CI 1.13-1.88, p = 0.0042) compared to patients without HCV. Patients with HCV were more likely to discontinue all or part of their HAART regimens due to toxicity or patient/physician choice. Managing adverse events must remain a key intervention in maintaining HAART. There is a need for further studies to describe the relationship between HCV, specific antiretrovirals, and different treatment strategies.

Evaluation of clinical types of cutaneous lichen planus in anti-hepatitis C virus seronegative and seropositive Nigerian patients.

The presentation of oral lichen planus in anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) seropositive and seronegative patients was previously evaluated, and the keratotic form of oral lichen planus was found to be more prevalent in anti-HCV seropositive patients. This study evaluated the presentation of cutaneous lichen planus in anti-HCV seropositive and seronegative Nigerians. Fifty-seven Nigerians with cutaneous lichen planus were carefully examined to determine the form of lichen planus present. All were screened for the presence of anti-HCV by second-generation enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and grouped as anti-HCV seropositive or anti-HCV seronegative patients. Nine patients were anti-HCV positive. Seven of these seropositive patients had hypertrophic lichen planus. Hypertrophic lichen planus in Nigerians is more prevalent with HCV infection.

Antibody responses to the hepatitis C virus E2 protein: Relationship to viraemia and prevalence in anti‐HCV seronegative subjects

A small proportion of patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection show no serological responses to the HCV polypeptides incorporated in commercial III generation immunoassays. To determine whether sera from these subjects contain antibodies to the highly immunoreactive second envelope polypeptide E2, which is not included in current anti-HCV assays, we studied 59 anti-HCV negative subjects who were found consistently to be HCV RNA positive by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Controls included 167 anti-HCV seropositive patients with or without serum HCV RNA and normal subjects. Antibodies to the E2 region were sought for by ELISA using the following antigens: a full length E2 protein expressed in insect cells using a baculovirus vector and extracted under denaturing conditions (dE2), and a C-terminal truncated soluble E2 (sE2) protein (a.a. 390–683), also expressed with a baculovirus vector, containing a signal peptide of rabies virus G protein which allows its secretion into the culture supernatant. Sera from only two (3.4%) of the 59 anti-HCV negative, HCV RNA positive patients recognised sE2 and none dE2. In sharp contrast, 82% of seropositive, viraemic patients recognised sE2 and 60% dE2, the difference in immunoreactivity being statistically significant (P < 0.0003). A significantly lower proportion of sera from anti-HCV positive, HCV RNA negative subjects recognised either sE2 or dE2 (16% and 13%, respectively, P < 0.000001). Healthy controls were consistently negative. These results indicate that antibody responses to predominantly conformational epitopes on the HCV E2 protein are common in patients with chronic HCV infection and are strictly related to the presence of circulating viral genomes. In contrast, only a minor proportion of HCV RNA positive patients, but anti-HCV seronegative by commercial immunoassays, have humoral immune responses to the HCV E2 region. J Med Virol 51:1–5, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Antibody responses to the hepatitis C virus E2 protein: Relationship to viraemia and prevalence in anti-HCV seronegative subjects

A small proportion of patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection show no serological responses to the HCV polypeptides incorporated in commercial III generation immunoassays. To determine whether sera from these subjects contain antibodies to the highly immunoreactive second envelope polypeptide E2, which is not included in current anti-HCV assays, we studied 59 anti-HCV negative subjects who were found consistently to be HCV RNA positive by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Controls included 167 anti-HCV seropositive patients with or without serum HCV RNA and normal subjects. Antibodies to the E2 region were sought for by ELISA using the following antigens: a full length E2 protein expressed in insect cells using a baculovirus vector and extracted under denaturing conditions (dE2), and a C-terminal truncated soluble E2 (sE2) protein (a.a. 390-683), also expressed with a baculovirus vector, containing a signal peptide of rabies virus G protein which allows its secretion into the culture supernatant. Sera from only two (3.4%) of the 59 anti-HCV negative, HCV RNA positive patients recognised sE2 and none dE2. In sharp contrast, 82% of seropositive, viraemic patients recognised sE2 and 60% dE2, the difference in immunoreactivity being statistically significant (P < 0.0003). A significantly lower proportion of sera from anti-HCV positive, HCV RNA negative subjects recognised either sE2 or dE2 (16% and 13%, respectively, P < 0.000001). Healthy controls were consistently negative. These results indicate that antibody responses to predominantly conformational epitopes on the HCV E2 protein are common in patients with chronic HCV infection and are strictly related to the presence of circulating viral genomes. In contrast, only a minor proportion of HCV RNA positive patients, but anti-HCV seronegative by commercial immunoassays, have humoral immune responses to the HCV E2 region.

Hepatitis C virus in dialysis units: a multicenter study.

Three hundred and eighty-seven chronic hemodialysis patients were evaluated, in a multicenter study, to investigate the epidemiology of hepatitis C virus. In anti-HCV seropositive patients, serum ALT values and blood transfusions were retrospectively compared; blood donors were studied for serum transaminases. In seropositive patients without previous blood transfusions, analysis of dialysis schedule was done. Eventually, the intrafamilial transmission of hepatitis C virus was studied in 104 family members. The prevalence of HCV infection in hemodialysis patients was 15.7%. The incidence of acute hepatitis was frequent, while chronic hepatitis incidence was less than expected (17.5%). Intrafamilial diffusion was low (1.9%). Blood-transfusion-related infections seem to be negligible, while cross-contamination in dialysis units seems to be very important.

Antibodies against hepatitis C virus in hemodialysis patients in the central Italian region of Umbria: evaluation of some risk factors.

The epidemiology of non-A, non-B hepatitis (NANBH) is still incomplete. To define the prevalence of antibodies against the main causative agent of NANBH, the hepatitis C virus (HCV) and the role of some risk factors, we tested sera from 269 patients on chronic dialysis at the hemodialysis units in our region in central Italy. We utilized the recently developed serological assay. Twenty-nine hemodialysis patients (13.3%) and 3 peritoneal dialysis patients (4.8%) were anti-HCV positive. Of these, 13 (40.6%) had antibodies to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) indicating prior hepatitis B infection. The anti-HCV seropositive patients had been on dialysis longer than the seronegative ones; they had received more transfusions than the others but without a significant difference. The prevalence rate of anti-HCV was statistically significantly higher among hemodialysis patients utilizing the same dialysis equipment for the previous 12 months.

Antibody to hepatitis C virus in multiply transfused patients with thalassaemia major.

Seventeen of 73 (23.3%) multiply transfused patients with thalassaemia major (age range, 1-39 years) tested positive for antibody to hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV). Eleven of the 24 patients regularly transfused in countries outside Britain were anti-HCV seropositive; only six of the 49 regularly transfused in Britain were seropositive. The incidence of anti-HBs and anti-HBc was similar to that of anti-HCV in both the British and foreign patients. The anti-HCV seropositive patients showed significantly higher plasma aspartate aminotransferase activities (AST), mean (SD) 10.2 (70.3) U/l, and serum ferritin concentrations, 4067 (2708) micrograms/l, than the anti-HCV seronegative patients (AST, 33.9 (15.6) U/l; serum ferritin 2051 (2092) U/l), respectively. Among the 36 patients who had earlier undergone liver biopsy 10 of 21 with histological features of chronic active hepatitis or cirrhosis, or both, were seropositive for anti-HCV whereas only one of 15 without histological evidence of chronic viral hepatitis was seropositive for anti-HCV. It is concluded that HCV is a major cause of chronic hepatitis in patients with thalassaemia major and is associated with raised AST activity and serum ferritin concentration compared with patients seronegative for anti-HCV.