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Anti-ENA antibody profile in hepatitis C patients undergoing hemodialysis

Raymond G Batchoun1, Malek A Al-Najdawi, Sameh Al-Taamary

  • 1Department of Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Irbid, Jordan. batchounr@yahoo.com

Saudi Journal of Kidney Diseases and Transplantation : an Official Publication of the Saudi Center for Organ Transplantation, Saudi Arabia
|July 12, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is common in hemodialysis patients, with over 47% testing positive. A significant number of these patients also showed anti-ENA antibodies, particularly anti-SSB, suggesting a link.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Hepatology
  • Nephrology

Background:

  • Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a growing global concern, particularly impacting hemodialysis patients.
  • HCV is known to induce various autoantibodies, including anti-nuclear antibodies (ANA), anti-smooth muscle antibodies (ASMA), anti-liver kidney microsome antibodies (LKM-1), and rheumatoid factor (RF).
  • The presence and role of anti-extractable nuclear antigen (ENA) antibodies in chronic hepatitis C, especially within hemodialysis populations, remain under-investigated.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the prevalence of HCV infection among patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) Stage 5 undergoing hemodialysis.
  • To assess the prevalence of ENA antibodies in this specific patient group.
  • To explore the association between HCV infection, ENA antibodies, and hemodialysis.

Main Methods:

  • Sera from 134 CKD patients undergoing hemodialysis were analyzed for HCV and ENA antibodies using ELISA and Immunoblot techniques.
  • HCV-positive blood bank donors (n=41) served as a control group.
  • The study compared antibody prevalence between hemodialysis patients and control groups.

Main Results:

  • HCV infection was detected in 47.7% (64 out of 134) of the hemodialysis patients.
  • Among HCV-infected hemodialysis patients, 51.6% (33 out of 64) tested positive for anti-ENA antibodies, with anti-SSB antibodies being the most prevalent (66.7%).
  • Anti-ENA antibody prevalence was significantly higher in HCV-positive hemodialysis patients compared to control groups, and showed a strong association with hemodialysis duration, independent of gender.

Conclusions:

  • HCV infection is highly prevalent in hemodialysis patients, aligning with Middle Eastern statistics but exceeding Western rates.
  • A significant association exists between HCV positivity, duration of hemodialysis, and the presence of anti-ENA antibodies.
  • The findings highlight the need for increased screening and awareness of HCV and associated autoimmune markers in hemodialysis units.

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