HEPATITIS-C VIRUS-INFECTION IN 2 GROUPS OF PEDIATRIC-PATIENTS - ONE MAINTAINED ON HEMODIALYSIS AND THE OTHER ON CONTINUOUS AMBULATORY PERITONEAL-DIALYSIS

Seropositivity to hepatitis C virus (HCV) was evaluated in three group s of Saudi children. One group (n = 18) was maintained on haemodialysi s and another group (n = 21) on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialy sis (CAPD). The third group were community-based normal controls. The prevalence of antibody to HCV (anti-HCV) in children on haemodialysis (11.2%) was significantly higher than that in the control group (n = 2 20) (1.4%; p = 0.056). There was no significant difference in the prev alence of anti-HCV between children on CAPD (4.8%) and the control gro up (1.4%; p = 0.244). Among ten children on haemodialysis who were ant i-HCV-negative 4 years earlier, two seroconverted and the seroconversi on was not due to transfused blood but was most likely due to environm ental contamination. This is the first report on the prevalence of ant i-HCV in children maintained on CAPD. The results of the study emphasi ze the need for separate dialysis machines for anti-HCV-positive patie nts. It seems that CAPD therapy might reduce transmission of HCV but a large number of CAPD patients will need to be studied to confirm supe riority to haemodialysis in this respect.