A study of hepatitis B surface antigen positive patients on haemodialysis and following transplantation.

ABSTRACT

Of 1339 patients who entered the dialysis and transplantation program, 104 (7.77%) patients were HBsAg positive. On dialysis, 15 of 104 patients (14.42%) developed icteric hepatitis (serum bilirubin > 2 mg/d1) and 7 patients (6.73%) developed anicteric hepatitis (SGOT > twice the upper limit of normal--normal 5-40 IU); one patient died of hepatic failure. Sixty five patients underwent live related transplantation. Actuarial graft survival at the end of 1 year, 2 years and 6 years were 81.67%, 73.98% and 69.36% respectively, and there was no significant difference compared to the negative group. 8 grafts (12.31%) were lost due to patient death due to infection in the HBsAg positive group compared to 27 out of 390 (6.923%) HBsAg negative patients (x2 = 1.88 P > 0.1). Post transplantation hepatic dysfunction was seen in 7 out of 65 (10.77%) patients and two patients died of hepatic failure.