Prevalence of hepatitis B and C infections in hemodialysis patients

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.