Saxena Anil K, Panhotra Bodh R
Division of Nephrology, Departments of Microbiology, King Fahad Hospital and Tertiary Care Center, Hofuf, Al-Hasa, Saudi Arabia.
J Am Geriatr Soc. 2004 Feb;52(2):242-6. doi: 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2004.52062.x.
To determine the relationship between advancing age and the risk of acquiring hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, through evaluation and statistical comparison of seroprevalence and seroconversion rates in different age groups of patients on long-term hemodialysis (HD).
Retrospective cohort study.
Hemodialysis facility of King Fahad Hospital and Tertiary Care Center, Al-Hasa region of the eastern province of Saudi Arabia.
One hundred ninety-eight patients with end-stage renal disease enrolled for long-term HD therapy from September 1995 to September 2000.
HCV seroprevalence and seroconversion rates.
The overall HCV seroprevalence of 43.4% (86/198) and seroconversion rate of 8.6% per year were recorded. Patients aged 55 to 64 had the highest anti-HCV prevalence (55.3% (26/47)) and annual seroconversion rates (11.0%). Those aged 65 to 74 had the next-highest prevalence (48.9% (24/49)) and seroconversion rate (9.7%), and patients aged 15 to 24 had the lowest prevalence (12.5% (1/8)) and seroconversion rate (2.5%) (reference group).
Significantly higher annual seroconversion rates in those aged 55 to 64 and 65 to 74 during a shorter dialysis period (35.6 and 32.7 vs 58.0 months), suggest the greater susceptibility of the middle-aged and elderly patients to acquisition of HCV infection than the younger (15-24 years) group. This could be attributed to the combined effect of immunosuppression associated with advancing age, uremia, and undernutrition, but multicenter molecular follow-up studies with larger sample sizes would be needed to corroborate these findings and plan appropriate strategies for these high-risk groups.
通过评估和统计比较长期血液透析（HD）患者不同年龄组的血清阳性率和血清转化率，确定年龄增长与丙型肝炎病毒（HCV）感染风险之间的关系。
回顾性队列研究。
沙特阿拉伯东部省哈萨地区法赫德国王医院和三级护理中心的血液透析设施。
1995年9月至2000年9月登记接受长期HD治疗的198例终末期肾病患者。
HCV血清阳性率和血清转化率。
记录的总体HCV血清阳性率为43.4%（86/198），年血清转化率为8.6%。年龄在55至64岁的患者抗HCV患病率最高（55.3%（26/47）），年血清转化率最高（11.0%）。年龄在65至74岁的患者患病率（48.9%（24/49））和血清转化率（9.7%）次之，年龄在15至24岁的患者患病率（12.5%（1/8））和血清转化率（2.5%）最低（参照组）。
年龄在55至64岁和65至74岁的患者在较短透析期（分别为3五个月和32.七个月，而对照组为5八个月）内年血清转化率显著更高，这表明中年和老年患者比年轻（15至24岁）组更容易感染HCV。这可能归因于与年龄增长、尿毒症和营养不良相关的免疫抑制的综合作用，但需要进行更大样本量的多中心分子随访研究来证实这些发现，并为这些高危人群制定适当的策略。
