ABSTRACT
To determine the prevalence and risk factor of anti-HCV in ESRD patients under chronic maitenance hemodialysis, the prevalence of serum antibodies to hepatitis C Virus(Anti-HCV) was assessed by an enzyme immunoassay (Abbott HCV EIA) in 253 patients with long-term Hemodialysis in Daegu & Kyoungbuk. 15 patients(5.9%) were anti-HCV positive. All dialysis patients had the history of transfusion. The number of transfusion units was not significant in anti-HCV positive patients(mean 17+/-20 pints) in comparison with the number in anti-HCV negative patients (mean 16+/-17 pints). The frequency of hemodialysis was also not significant in anti-HCV positive patients(mean 477+/-618 ) compared with anti-HCV negative patients (mean 462+/-616). The mean duration of hemodialysis was significantly higher(P<0.001) in the anti-HCV positive patients (74+/-42 months) in comparison with anti-HCV negative patients (45+/-41 months). We concluded that the prevalence of anti-HCV in hemodialysis patients is 5.9% and that HCV infection is significantly related with the duration of hemodialysis rather than the number of transfusion units and the frequency of hemodialysis