Hepatitis B virus among maintainence haemodialysis patients: a report from Karachi, Pakistan.

OBJECTIVE

To study the characterstics, pattern of viral markers, hepatic transaminases and other associated hepatitis virus infections among maintainence haemodialysis patients.

METHOD

This prospective cross-sectional study was conducted at the dialysis unit of Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation Karachi on end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients undergoing maintainence haemodialysis from November 2009 to April 2010. Patients on anti-viral drugs were excluded Blood samples were taken, immediately before start of dialysis, for Hepatitis B virus serology, anti-HCV, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for HBV DNA and biochemical tests. Abdominal ultrasound was performed for liver, spleen, portal vein diameter and presence or absence of ascites. Data analysis was done by using SPSS 10.0. The level of significance was taken as 0.05.

RESULTS

Out of 1220 ESRD patients on maintainence haemodialysis at SIUT, 124 were HBsAg positive but 26 patients were excluded as they had received anti-viral therapy. Finally 98 patients including 71 (72%) males and 27 (28%) females completed the study. The mean age was 34.98 +/- 12.67 years. Most of the patients did not have hepatitis symptoms. ALT level was raised above cutoff value of 20 IU/ml in 62.2% patients while AST was raised in 75.4% patients. HBeAg was positive in 34.6%, anti-HBe antibody was positive in 65% patients and HBV DNA was detected in 65.3%. More than half of the patients had HCV co-infection. Six patients had cirrhosis. Thirty four patients were non-replicating carriers. The mean duration of dialysis and duration of HBsAg positivity were significantly longer in those patients who had hepatitis B and hepatitis C coinfection (p<0.05).

CONCLUSION

Hepatitis B virus infection in dialysis dependent patients is mostly asymptomatic. Mild transaminase elevation is frequently encountered.