PREVALENCE AND GENOTYPING OF HEPATITIS C VIRUS IN HEMODIALYSIS PATIENTS AND EVALUATION OF HCV-CORE ANTIGEN TEST IN SCREENING  PATIENTS FOR DIALYSIS IN SANA'A CITY, YEMEN

Samira H Hanash; Hassan A. Al-Shamahy; Mohammed Hussein Saleh Bamshmous

doi:10.22270/ujpr.v4i2.251

Samira H Hanash Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Taiz University, Republic of Yemen.
Hassan A. Al-Shamahy Medical Microbiology and Clinical Immunology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sana’a University, Republic of Yemen.
Mohammed Hussein Saleh Bamshmous Medical Microbiology and Clinical Immunology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sana’a University, Republic of Yemen.

10.22270/ujpr.v4i2.251

Keywords:

Genotype, Haemodialysis, Hepatitis C virus, HCV core antigen, HCV antibodies, PCR HCV-RNA, Yemen

Abstract

Objective: Hepatitis C virus infection is a constant worldwide public health concern. The prevalence of HCV infection is higher in patients on chronic haemodialysis (HD) than in the general population. Despite the control of blood products, hepatitis C virus transmission is still being observed among patients undergoing dialysis. Detection systems for serum HCV antibodies are insensitive in the acute phase because of the long serological window. Direct detection of HCV depends on PCR test but this test is not suitable for routine screening. The objective of this study was to determine prevalence of HCV, genotyping and if HCV core antigen test could be a better alternative to NAT techniques for the diagnosis of HCV infection during the window period and whether the sensitivity for antibody detection is preserved.

Methods: Current study includes screening of 159 patients on long-term dialysis by HVC antibodies test, PCR HCV-RNA and HCV core antigen test by commercial tests.

Results: The prevalence of HCV was 10.7% (17 patients) and genotype 4 was the most common one (64.7%). The sensitivity of HCV core antigen test was 94.1%, the specificity 100%, the positive predictive power 100%, and the negative predictive power 97.9%. In conclusions; patients on maintenance HD in Yemen have a high prevalence of HCV infection comparing with general population; and genotype 4 is predominant.

Conclusion: The performance of serological detection of HCV core antigen was better than that of HCV antibodies test and may be an alternative to nucleic acid amplification technology (NAT) for routine monitoring of patients on chronic dialysis.