EFFECT OF HEPATITIS C VIRUS INFECTION ON HAEMATOCRIT AND HAEMOGLOBIN LEVELS IN EGYPTIAN HEMODIALYSIS PATIENTS

Aim: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is common among the Egyptians. This prevalence is higher among hemodialysis (HD) patients in whom anemia is a common finding. Recently, some case reports and few studies indicated that red cell status increased after hepatitis C viral infection among HD patients. The aim of our study is to investigate whether HCV-positive HD patients have higher hemoglobin (Hb) and hematocrit (HCT) values compared to HCV-negative patients. Methods: Ninety-nine chronic (HD) patients were the subject of this study. Their HCV status was determined by anti-HCV antibodies and confirmed with RNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Those with a history of blood transfusion or massive blood loss during the last 6 months were excluded from the study. Results: 70.7% of our patients tested positive for anti-HCV antibody (56.9 % were male). The mean age for HCV positive group was (40.41 +/- 14.17 years) while it was (47.35 +/- 19.18 years) for HCV negative group (P= 0.08). HCV positive group has a longer hemodialysis duration (66.54 +/- 43.92 months) compared to HCV negative patients (30.96 +/- 23.17 months, P= 0.006). Mean Hb was similar in HCV-positive compared to HCV negative group (10.32 +/- 2.03 versus 10.22 +/- 1.52 gm/dl respectively) (P= 0.63). Mean HCT values were also similar in both groups being 30.94 +/- 6.089% in HCV positive versus 30.77 +/- 4.53% in HCV negative group, respectively (P= 0.094). Fifty-five patients (39 HCV positive and 16 were HCV negative) received erythropoietin (EPO) therapy whilst only twenty patients received IV iron. Mean Erythropoietin dose was 5000 +/- 2236.06 Units/week in HCV-positive patients versus 6250 +/- 2720.29 Units /week in HCV -negative group (P= 0.09). Liver function tests were normal except for alanine aminotransferase (ALT) that was significantly higher among HCV-positive compared to HCV-negative patients (31.75 +/- 36.4 vs 15.1 +/- 7.21 U/L, P= 0.05). Conclusion: HCV-positive and HCV-negative Egyptian chronic hemodialysis patients have comparable hemoglobin as well as hematocrit levels and the erythropoietin dose was not influential as its lower value in HCV-positive patients did not reach a statistically significant level.