ANTI-HEPATITIS-C VIRUS-ANTIBODIES - PREVA LENCE IN PATIENTS UNDER HEMODIALYSIS, FAMILY RELATED AND, NEPHROLOGY STAFF

Hepatitis C is the most frequent type of non-A, non-B hepatitis in pat ients on hemodialysis (HD). We have studied during two years the preva lence of plasma HCV antibodies in unselected patients on HD and the an ti-HCV antibody evolution through the ELISA-I, ELISA-II and RIBA. We h ave determinated the anti-HCV among relatives of dialyzed patients and staff members of dialysis unit. The prevalence of HCV antibodies was 58.7% in hemodialysis patients. We found 24% false-negatives with ELIS A. Two patients (6.3%) become anti-HCV positives during these two year s. Time of dialysis and previous blood transfussion seem to increase t he prevalence of HCV antibodies. Renal transplant is not a risk factor to be carrier of the HCV antibodies. 3.07% of the relatives and 9.62% of the spouses were anti-HCV positive. The health-care staff studied was anti-HCV negative. These data show that intrafamilial spread and s exual transmission could be possible. The usual hygienic recomendation s in hemodyalisis units are enough to avoid the viral transmission.