Epidemiological aspects of hepatitis C virus infection among renal transplant recipients in Central Brazil
Mem. Inst. Oswaldo Cruz
; 103(5): 472-476, Aug. 2008. graf, tab
Article
in En
| LILACS
| ID: lil-491970
Responsible library:
BR1.1
ABSTRACT
An investigation was conducted involving 255 renal transplant recipients in the state of Goiás, Central Brazil, to determine the prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV), its risk factors, the genotypes involved, and the level of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) present in the patients. All serum samples were tested for anti-HCV antibodies and HCV RNA. Forty-one patients were anti-HCV and/or HCV RNA positive, resulting in an overall HCV infection prevalence of 16.1 percent (95 percent CI 11.9-21.3). A multivariate analysis of risk factors showed that a history of blood transfusions without anti-HCV screening, the length of time spent on hemodialysis, and renal transplantation before 1994 are all associated with HCV positivity. In HCV-positive patients, only 12.2 percent had ALT levels above normal. Twenty-eight samples were genotyped as genotype 1, subtypes 1a (62.5 percent) and 1b (31.3 percent), and two samples (6.2 percent) were genotype 3, subtype 3a. These data show a high prevalence of HCV infection and low ALT levels in the studied population. The risk factor analysis findings emphasize the importance of public health strategies such as anti-HCV screening of candidate blood and organ donors, in addition to the stricter adoption of hemodialysis-specific infection control measures. The present study also demonstrates that HCV genotype 1 (subtype 1a) is predominant in this population.
Key words
Full text:
1
Index:
LILACS
Main subject:
Kidney Transplantation
/
Hepatitis C
/
Hepacivirus
/
Hepatitis C Antibodies
Type of study:
Diagnostic_studies
/
Etiology_studies
/
Prevalence_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
Limits:
Adolescent
/
Adult
/
Aged
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
Country/Region as subject:
America do sul
/
Brasil
Language:
En
Journal:
Mem. Inst. Oswaldo Cruz
Journal subject:
MEDICINA TROPICAL
/
PARASITOLOGIA
Year:
2008
Type:
Article