AYŞE RÜVEYDA UĞUR, BURAK EZER, BAHADIR FEYZİOGLU, MEHMET ÖZDEMİR
Viral Hepatitis Journal - 2025;31(2):36-40
Objectives Patients on hemodialysis (HD) are more vulnerable to infections than the general population due to immunosuppression caused by chronic renal failure. Hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmitted by blood are the most important causes of morbidity and mortality in these patients. The aim of this study is to investigate the prevalence of HBV, HCV and HIV in chronic renal failure patients undergoing HD treatment over a four-year period. Materials and Methods This study analyzed 3,799 patient records of persons receiving HD at Meram Medical Faculty and Konya City Hospitals from April 1, 2020, to December 31, 2023. Serum samples from all patients were analyzed for HB surface antigen (HBsAg), anti-HBs, anti-HCV, and anti-HIV markers. The serological parameters were assessed using the Architect I200 SR (Abbott, USA) or the Cobas 8000 immunoassay analyzer (Roche, Mannheim, Germany). RESULTS After exclusion of duplicate data, 463 patients were eligible for the study. Of the patients, 52.4% were male, and 47.6% were female. The mean age was 54.5±16.1 years. All patients tested negative for anti-HIV. Seventeen patients (3.7%) were positive for anti-HCV, 11 patients (2.3%) were positive for HbsAg, and 423 patients (91.9%) were positive for anti-HBs. CONCLUSION Our results regarding the seroprevalence of HbsAg, anti-HCV, and anti-HIV in HD patients were consistent with existing literature from Türkiye. Conversely, we observed an elevated prevalence of anti-HBs positivity among HD patients. The vaccination procedures administered to dialysis patients receiving treatment in tertiary hospitals in Konya were deemed highly effective. We emphasize that those at risk for HBV infection must receive vaccination without exception, and that infection control protocols in dialysis units should adhere to established guidelines.
