Hemodialysis reduces the viral load in uremic patients with chronic hepatitis B infection.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The effect of hemodialysis (HD) to change the viral load of hepatitis B virus (HBV) in uremic patients with chronic HBV infection has never been studied. In this study, we investigated the HBV viral loads and their changes between the HD procedure in the uremic patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 38 chronic HBV-infected uremic patients were enrolled, but eight cases were excluded due to HCV co-infection and under anti-viral therapy. To evaluate the HBV DNA levels and their changes through the course of HD, we quantified serial serum samples from each patient immediately before HD, at the end of HD, and 48 hours later--immediately before the next HD. RESULTS: Most of our HBV-infected uremic patients had a relatively lower HBV viral load; 80% cases with HBV DNA