Hepatitis c virus antibodies in dialysis patients in Tunisia : a single center study

• Published in: Saudi journal of kidney diseases and transplantation 2000-04, Vol.11 (2), p.218-222
• Main Authors: Ben Abd Allah, T., Ayed, K., Gorgi, Y., Sassi, F., Lamouchi, A., Ben Maiz, Hedi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Hemodialysis; Hepatitis C; Hepatitis C virus; Patients; Treatment; Tunisia; الأجسام المضادة; التهاب الكبد سي; الفيروسات; المرضى; غسيل الكلى
• ISSN: 1319-2442; 2320-3838

Fifty-eight patients on maintenance hemodialysis in a dialysis unit at Tunis, Tunisia were tested for anti-hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV) antibodies by second generation ELISA test, and for HCV-RNA by nested reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) of 5' non-coding region. Specificity of the antibodies was confirmed by immunoblot test. HCV genotype was defined using INNO-LIPA test. Twenty-seven out of 58 patients (46.5 %) were reactive by ELISA. Transaminase levels were assessed over a six-month period and showed normal average values. Fourteen of the 27 anti-HCV positive patients (51 %) were positive by RT-PCR. Type 1b HCV genotype was the most prevalent, seen in all the dialysis patients and one patient in addition, was coinfected with genotype 4. There was a significant correlation between the duration on dialysis (over five years) and the prevalence of anti-HCV-positive patients (P < 0.005) while no correlation existed between the number of blood transfusions and the presence of anti- HCV antibodies. The present study illustrates the high prevalence of HCV infection among Tunisian dialysis patients (51 %) and indicates that the spread may be nosocomial rather than transfusion-related.