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Seroprevalence of hepatitis B and C virus in patients who undergo hemodialysis in Antalya province, Turkey

Abstract Background Chronic hepatitis B (HBV) and C virus (HCV) infections are important causes of morbidity and mortality in patients who undergo hemodialysis (HD). Objectives To define seroprevalence of HBV and HCV in patients who underwent HD in Antalya province, Turkey. Methods We included 1347 patients with end-stage renal failure who underwent HD at one of the 23 centers in Antalya province from January 01 to March 31, 2014 in this retrospective cross-sectional study. Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and anti-HCV seropositivity were assessed clinically using a third-generation enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. HBV DNA and HCV RNA were determined in HBsAg positive and anti- HCV positive HD patients respectively. Results Of the patients included, 805 (59.8%) were male. Mean age (± standard deviation) of the patients was 53.9 ± 17.0 (range 17–89) years. The sera of 2.4% patients was positive for HBsAg, and the sera of 5.5% of the patients was positive for anti-HCV. The sera of 56% of patients positive for HBsAg was also positive for HBV DNA, and the sera of 43% of patients positive for anti-HCV was also positive for HCV RNA. Coexistence of HBsAg and anti-HCV was 1.02%. Conclusions The present study showed that the prevalence of chronic HBV and HCV infection in patients who underwent HD in Antalya province was moderate-to-low for Turkey. Compliance of HD centers with infection control rules, isolation of HBsAg positive patients, isolation of the equipment used for HBV susceptible patients, and active surveillance of the HD patients may have resulted in lower prevalence rates.