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Abstract Background and Aims Hepatitis B (HBV) and hepatitis C (HCV) viral infections significantly contribute to morbidity and mortality among hemodialysis patients, posing substantial challenges in the management of these individuals. These infections present a critical global public health concern. This study aims to describe the serological profile of hepatitis B and C among hemodialysis patients at the Military Hospital of Instruction Mohamed V in Rabat. Additionally, the research aims to investigate the associated risk factors, including the potential influence of blood transfusion and frequenting multiple hemodialysis centers as risk factors. Method We conducted a cross-sectional study involving 38 hemodialysis patients during the period from January 2022 to September 2022. Hepatitis B and C serological markers were analyzed using a chemiluminescent assay, while genome detection was carried out using a quantitative real-time PCR test. Results A total of 36 hemodialysis patients participated in the study, with 44.7% being male and 55.3% female. The age range varied from 26 to 82 years, with a median hemodialysis duration of 102 months. On average, patients attended 1.89 +/- 1.24 dialysis centers (minimum: 1, maximum: 5). Of the participants, 39.5% had a history of blood transfusion, and 13.2% were immunodeficients. Approximately 63.2% of the patients tested positive for Hbs antibodies; however, only 42.1% demonstrated immunity to hepatitis B with antibody levels exceeding 100 UI/L. Among these patients, 31.6% had a history of vaccination, while 31.6% had previously contracted the disease. Notably, PCR results for HBV were negative in all patients. HCV antibodies were positive in 5.3% of the participants, with no viral RNA detected. Our study did not find any statistically significant risk factors. We found no association between the prevalence of hepatitis B or C and a history of transfusion or the number of hemodialysis centers attended. Conclusion Our results affirm the decreasing prevalence of hepatitis B and C infections among Moroccan hemodialysis patients, attributable to the implementation of anti-HBV vaccination and other protective measures. However, the limited number of patients in our study renders the sample non-representative.
Lafrid et al. (Wed,) studied this question.