Hepatitis C virus-infected, HCV-RNA-negative patients with bleeding disorders - Relationship to age, HIV and treatment

All 155 anti-hepatitis C-virus (HCV positive patients with haemostatic diso rders at our unit were tested for HCV-RNA in order to determine the prevale nce of a negative result. The patients were also characterized in order to find predictors for a negative HCV-RNA test. The prevalence of a negative H CV-RNA test was 15.5% (24 of 155) and this was similar among anti-HIV posit ive and negative patients. A common denominator for the 4 HIV-infected, HCV -RNA negative haemophiliacs was treatment with azidothymidin prior to the f irst test. Among the anti-HIV negative patients, those < 40 y of age had a significantly greater chance of being HCV-RNA-negative than the older ones (27.3 vs 3.6%). They also had a lower consumption of plasma products than a ge-matched HCV-RNA positive cases, Absence of co-infection with hepatitis B was not correlated with a negative HCV-RNA test. Young age and a low requi rement for factor concentrates thus seem to be predictors for a negative HC V-RNA test in patients with bleeding disorders.