Prevalence and characterization of hepatitis C virus in hemodialysis patients.

OBJECT Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is common in hemodialysis (HD) patients. In the present study, the prevalence and properties of HCV in HD patients were analyzed. METHODS AND RESULTS Of 125 HD patients, 34 (27%) were positive for antibody to HCV, and HCV-RNA was detected in 23 (68%) of the 34 patients using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. The HCV-RNA sequence analysis did not identify the alterations specific to HD patients with HCV, although one patient had a variant virus containing the deletion of the core gene sequence. When serial changes in the levels of HCV-RNA were evaluated in 15 patients by a branched DNA assay, the values decreased immediately after HD procedure, but returned to the baseline values 2 days after the procedure. CONCLUSION These results indicate that HCV in HD patients is replication-competent, although a transient reduction in the levels of HCV-RNA occurs during HD.