Seroprevalence of Hepatitis B and C Viruses in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease in the Predialysis Stage at a University Hospital in Turkey

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis B (HBV) and C (HCV) viruses are the most common viruses that cause viral infections among the hemodialysis patients. OBJECTIVES: To assess the prevalence of HBV and HCV in predialytic chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study. SUBJECTS: 171 consecutive predialytic CKD patients. MEASUREMENTS: Third-generation micro-ELISA assay was used for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), antibody to hepatitis B core (anti-HBc) and surface antibody (anti-HBs), secretory form of hepatitis B envelop antigen (HBeAg), antibody to secretory form of hepatitis B envelop antigen (anti-HBe), and ELISA for antibody to hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV). RESULTS: The main causes of CKD were 29.8% diabetic nephropathy, 19.9% chronic glomerulonephritis, 16.3% hypertensive nephrosclerosis, 14.0% unknown, 5.3% amyloidosis, 4.7% autosomal-dominant polycystic kidney disease, 4.1% chronic tubuluointerstitial nephritis, 3.5% malignancies, 1.7% benign prostatic hypertrophy, 0.6% Alport syndrome. The seroprevalence of hepatitis was: HBsAg 10.5%, anti-HBc 36.8%, anti-HBs 28.7%, HBeAg 5.3%, anti-HBe 32.7%, anti-HCV 7% and HBsAg+anti-HCV 0.6%. CONCLUSIONS: The seroprevalence of HBsAg and anti-HCV among predialytic CKD patients was similar to our patients in hemodialysis program.