HEPATITIS-C VIRUS (HCV) INFECTION IN HEMODIALYZED PATIENTS - HCV-RNA AND ANTI-HCV ANTIBODIES (3RD-GENERATION ASSAYS)

Samples from 128 haemodialyzed patients were tested by anti-HCV 2nd- a nd 3rd-generation assays from Ortho: 53 were positive by ELISA 2.0 and 54 (42%) by ELISA 3.0. The 54 anti-HCV-positive patients were tested by RIBA-2 and RIBA-3 and by PCR for the detection of HCV-RNA: 46 of th e 47 patients (98%) reactive by RIBA-2 and 48 of the 51 patients (94%) reactive by RIBA-3 were HCV-RNA positive. Three patients with RIBA-3 indeterminate results were HCV-RNA negative. Among the 74 anti-HCV neg ative patients, 29 were tested by PCR with negative results. Two disti nct episodes of hepatitis C have been observed in two patients during the follow-up and 44 of the 50 patients (88%) known positive for anti- HCV since at least 1989 were still viraemic in 1993. A very high corre lation was found between anti-HCV antibodies reactive by RIBA and the presence of HCV-RNA. A lack of protection after a resolved infection a nd a high frequency of chronic disease have been observed as well as a reinfection or a reactivation of the infection in two patients.