Hepatitis B and C virus infection in the hemodialysis population from three romanian regions

After 10 years of systematically nationwide applied measures for reduction of infection risk, in this national prospective observational study, we reassessed the prevalence of hepatitis virus infection prevalence and its influence on the outcome of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) patients treated with hemodialysis.

Six-hundred ESKD patients (332 men and 268 women, median age 56 years) treated with chronic HD in seven centers from all the historical regions of Romania have been assigned to this study on 1st of November 2010. The aims of this study were to reevaluate the prevalence of the hepatitis B and C virus infection in a HD population from Romania after 10 years of systematically nationwide applied measures for reduction of infection risk and also to assess the impact of these infections on the prognosis of HD patients.

HBsAg was positive in 9.5% (n = 57) of the patients, anti-HCV antibodies were detected in 27.3% (n = 164) and 5% (n = 30) were positive for both HBV and HCV infection. The mortality risk was significantly influenced only by age, the presence of coronary artery disease and the 25 OH vitamin D levels.

This study shows that the systematically nationwide applied measures for reduction of infection risk significantly decreased HV infection prevalence in HD patients in Romania. The presence of HV infection did not significantly influence the mortality risk in this population.