RESUMO
The prevalence of antibodies against hepatitis C virus (HCV) was assessed in 246 hemodialysis patients who attended a dialysis unit in Bari, using a recombinant enzyme immunoassay test (Abbot Lab.). Fifty-six (22.8%) sera were reactive to anti-HCV. The reactivity was confirmed in 46 specimens (18.7%) using the Abbott EIA HCV neutralization test. The anti-HCV prevalence was higher in males than in females and increased with age, duration of dialysis and number of transfusions. Moreover, a correlation between the presence of anti-HCV and the persistent increase of ALT was noted. The HCV-infection attack rate was calculated using the frozen sera collected from 1984 to 1990: the incidence of infection in the first year was 6.1%, and in following years 4.6%, 4.9%, 3.1%, 2.1% and 2.2%, respectively.
Assuntos
Anticorpos Anti-Hepatite/análise , Hepatite C/epidemiologia , Diálise Renal , Adulto , Alanina Transaminase/sangue , Transfusão de Sangue , Feminino , Hepatite C/imunologia , Hepatite C/transmissão , Humanos , Técnicas Imunoenzimáticas , Incidência , Itália/epidemiologia , Falência Renal Crônica/terapia , Masculino , Prevalência , Fatores de Risco , Fatores de TempoRESUMO
The 7-year follow-up with plasma-derived and 2-year follow-up with r-DNA vaccines have indicated the safety, immunogenicity and persistence of a vaccine-induced antibody response in hemodialysis patients. The results of our study indicate that these subjects have a lower and often inadequate immunogenic response to the HB vaccine and that the r-DNA vaccine gives a better seroconversion rate than the plasma-derived vaccines.