Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) Infection among Seronegative Patients undergoing Haemodialysis in a Remotely Located Tertiary Care Hospital of Northern India: Value of HCV-RNA and Genotypes
Published: December 1, 2015 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.7860/JCDR/2015/.6952
Neerja Jindal, Divya Soin, Pragati Grover, Renu Bansal, Rubina Malhotra, Seema Singh, Charu Singh
1. Professor and Head, Department of Microbiology, GGSMC, Faridkot, Punjab, India.
2. Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, GGSMC & Hospital, Faridkot, Punjab, India.
3. Senior Resident, Department of Microbiology, GGSMC, Faridkot, Punjab, India.
4. Professor, Department of Microbiology, GGSMC, Faridkot, Punjab, India.
5. Assistant Professor, Department of Microbiology, GGSMC, Faridkot, Punjab, India.
6. Consultant, Department of Microbiology, GGSMC, Faridkot, Punjab, India.
7. Junior Resident, Department of Microbiology, GGSMC, Faridkot, Punjab, India.
Correspondence
Dr. Pragati Grover,
Pragati Grover, Kothi No-203, Street No.2, Guru Nanak Colony, Faridkot-151203, Punjab, India.
E-mail : pragatigrover79@gmail.com
Background: Haemodialysis (HD) patients are at an increased risk of Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, which is significantly associated with increased morbidity and mortality.
Aim: The aim of this study was to find the prevalence of HCV infection in anti-HCV antibody negative haemodialysis patients by Real-time PCR (RT-PCR) and value of HCV-RNA among seronegative patients undergoing haemodialysis in a remotely located tertiary care hospital.
Materials and Methods: A total of 100 chronic renal failure patients on haemodialysis were studied. All the patients were screened for anti-HCV antibodies by ELISA test and for HCV-RNA by RT-PCR.
Results: The overall prevalence of HCV infection was 32%. Antibody positivity was 30% and HCV-RNA by RT-PCR was detected in 20%. HCV-RNA in seronegative patients was detected in 2.8%.
Conclusion: Serological assays (30%) are quite reliable for detecting HCV infection in patients undergoing haemodialysis in our tertiary care hospital. Only a small proportion of them (2.8%) require the documentation of viral genome for current infection.
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