The changing epidemiology of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in haemodialysis: European multicentre study

Background. The high prevalence of anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibodies in HD patients has been known since the early 1990s but its evolution over the last decade is poorly documented. Methods. All chronic HD patients from 15 Belgian units were tested at (re)start of HD and every 18 months for anti-HCV antibodies (ELISA 2 in May 1991 and November 1992, then ELISA 3 until May 2000). All chronic HD patients from HD units from eight other European countries, whose prevalence of anti-HCV (+) patients had been studied in 1991–1994 (and published except in one country), were tested for anti-HCV antibodies in 1999. Results. Anti-HCV (+) prevalence decreased (P