We studied the Anti-HGV E^ in 50 patients with ESRF on maintenance haemodialysis for at least 12 months and 20 apparently normal individuals as control group to assess their prevalence and liver cell affection in relation to other viral hepatitis agents using ELISA for anti-HGV-Es. They were 30 men and 20 women with mean age 42.9 ± 4.8 years. Haemodialysis patients were subdivided into subgroup 1 (n: 30) with history of multi-blood transfusion and subgroup 2 (n: 20) without. The study revealed that 22 % (11/50) of the patients group had anti-HGV-E2 Ab, 30 % (9/30) in the transfused subgroup and 10% (2/20) in the non-transfused while one of the controls was positive (5%). The difference between the patients group and the controls and between the transfused and non-transfused subgroups was insignificant (P > 0.05). Of 11 anti-HGV-Ei positive patients, 9 (81.8%) had history of blood transfusion, 2 (18.2%) were coinfected with HBs Ag., 9 (81.8%) had HCV Ab and 5 (45.5%) were HCV-RNA positive. However, there was no significant difference between anti-HGV-E; positive and negative patients with regard to sex, age, blood transfusion, chronic HBs Ag infection, and frequency of detection of HCV Ab and HCV-RNA and liver transaminases. The prevalence of anti-HGV-E^ in HD patients coinfected with HBs Ag. 28.6% (2/7) was higher than in those negatives for HBs Ag, 20.9%(9/43) but the difference was insignificant. Also, the rate of detection anti-HGV-E^ was higher in HD patients coinfected with HCV-RNA 29.4% (5/17) than in those negative for HCV-RNA, 18.2% (6/33) and the difference was insignificant. We concluded that HD patients in our locality are at increased risk for HBV, HCV and HGV infections. Blood transfusion plays an important role in HGV transmission but other routes are suspected for some of the patients. HGV is capable of independent transmission irrespective of HBV and HCV. Hepatitis G infection plays a minor role in liver injury in HD patients. |
