Aim High prevalence of Hepatitis C virus (HCV) has been reported among the dialysis patients throughout the world. studies from Pakistan. Results Anti HCV antibodies were observed in 112 (29.2%) of whom 90 (80.4%) were Stevioside Hydrate HCV RNA positive. In rest of the anti HCV negative patients HCV RNA was detected in 16 (5.9%) patients. The dominant HCV genotypes in HCV infected HD patients were found to be 3a (n = 36) 3 (n = 20) 1 (n = 16) 2 (n Stevioside Hydrate = 10) 2 (n = 2) Mouse monoclonal to CD11a.4A122 reacts with CD11a, a 180 kDa molecule. CD11a is the a chain of the leukocyte function associated antigen-1 (LFA-1a), and is expressed on all leukocytes including T and B cells, monocytes, and granulocytes, but is absent on non-hematopoietic tissue and human platelets. CD11/CD18 (LFA-1), a member of the integrin subfamily, is a leukocyte adhesion receptor that is essential for cell-to-cell contact, such as lymphocyte adhesion, NK and T-cell cytolysis, and T-cell proliferation. CD11/CD18 is also involved in the interaction of leucocytes with endothelium. 1 (n = 4) 4 (n = 2) untypeable (n = 10) and mixed (n = 12) genotype. Conclusion This study suggesting that i) the prevalence of HCV does not differentiate between past and present infection and continued to be elevated ii) HD patients may be a risk for HCV due to the involvement of multiple routes of infections especially poor blood screening of transfused blood and low standard of dialysis procedures in Pakistan and iii) need to apply infection control practice. Keywords: Dialysis patients HCV HCV Genotype Epidemiology Pakistan Introduction Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major public health problem with an estimated global prevalence of 3% occurring in about 180 million carriers and approximately 4 million people have been newly infected annually [1]. The prevalence of HCV infection among dialysis patients is generally much higher than healthy blood donors [2] and general population [3]. Studies held in dialysis centers from different countries revealed Stevioside Hydrate that prevalence ranges form 1-84.6% [2 4 and there is a particular concern because HCV chronic infection causes significant morbidity and mortality among patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD) [4]. In Pakistan currently approximately 10 million people are suffering from this tremendous disease which cover 6% of the overall population. A high prevalence of HCV Ab (38% weighted average) was described in the studies of patients undergoing chronic dialysis in Pakistan [5]. The spread of HCV in Pakistan is fuelled due to lack of education and awareness of disease shortage of medically qualified and scientifically trained health care workers especially dentists lack of health infrastructure such as use unsterilized instruments use of high numbers of therapeutic injections and practice of daily face and Stevioside Hydrate armpit shaving in community barber shops [6 7 New HCV infection was evidently more frequent at dialysis centers with higher anti-HCV prevalence and failure in infection control measures. In some countries both prevalence and incidence remain very high indicating major ongoing nosocomial Stevioside Hydrate transmission probably due to the limited resources available to treat a rapidly growing HD population [8]. The striking genetic heterogeneity of the RNA genome of HCV is well recognized [9 10 On the basis of molecular relatedness HCV is classified into 11 major genotypes: 1 through 11 among which first six are major player of infection globally [9]. On the basis of phylogenetic analysis over 80 subtypes and minor variants referred to as “quasispecies are existing [10] Stevioside Hydrate which differ by 20% to 23% on the basis of full length genomic sequence comparisons subtype [11]. Identification of HCV genotype does not influence disease presentation but is important for its predictive value in term of antiviral therapy counseling and management [12]. Counseling is indeed a necessity in order to minimize the risk of transmission of HCV infection to others [13]. This study investigated the subtypes of HCV infection and correlate genotypes of the HD patients with the demographic data and risk factors. This study also evaluation the prevalence of HCV with the past studies in HD patients conducting in different regions of Pakistan. Materials and methods Study Sample and Data Collection 384 HD patients were randomly selected collected from three hospitals of Peshawar Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: Khyber Teaching Hospital National Diagnostic Dialysis Center and Dialysis Ward Hayatabad Medical Complex. All patients were briefed about the study and proper willing consent was signed. All patients were interviewed for demographic data and risk factors to HCV infections including history of number of blood transfusion intravenous drug use (IDU) surgical interventions and dental treatment multiple sexual partners barber shop piercing instruments and exposure to known HCV-positive persons number of years on dialysis and change of the center. Blood (5CC in sterile syringes) were collected from HD patients; sera were separated in two aliquots and frozen at -70°C for HCV RNA detection and.