Seroprevalence of hepatitis B and C viruses in patients with chronic kidney disease in the predialysis stage at a university hospital in Turkey

Background: Hepatitis B (HBV) and C (HCV) viruses are the most common viruses that cause viral infections among the hemodialysis patients. Objectives: To assess the prevalence of HBV and HCV in predialytic chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. Design: A cross-sectional study. Subjects: 171 consecutive predialytic CKD patients. Measurements: Third-generation micro-ELISA assay was used for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), antibody to hepatitis B core (anti-HBc) and surface antibody (anti-HBs), secretory form of hepatitis B envelop antigen (HBeAg), antibody to secretory form of hepatitis B envelop antigen (anti-HBe), and ELISA for antibody to hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV). Results: The main causes of CKD were 29.8% diabetic nephropathy, 19.9% chronic glomerulonephritis, 16.3% hypertensive nephrosclerosis, 14.0% unknown, 5.3% amyloidosis, 4.7% autosomal-dominant polycystic kidney disease, 4.1% chronic tubuluointerstitial nephritis, 3.5% malignancies, 1.7% benign prostatic hypertrophy, 0.6% Alport syndrome. The seroprevalence of hepatitis was: HBsAg 10.5%, anti-HBc 36.8%, anti-HBs 28.7%, HBeAg 5.3%, anti-HBe 32.7%, anti-HCV 7% and HBsAg+ anti-HCV 0.6%. Conclusions: The seroprevalence of HBsAg and anti-HCV among predialytic CKD patients was similar to our patients in hemodialysis program. Copyright (c) 2007 S. Karger AG, Basel.