Assessment of peripheral DNA damage by alkaline comet assay in maintenance hemodialysis subjects with hepatitis C infection.

Abstract Despite the high prevalence of hepatitis C infection among hemodialysis subjects, there is no information concerning the DNA damage of hepatitis C (+) hemodialysis subjects. We aimed to find out if there is any additional effect of hepatitis C infection on peripheral DNA damage in maintenance hemodialysis subjects. Fifteen hepatitis C (+) and 22 hepatitis C (−) hemodialysis subjects, 21 hepatitis C subjects without renal disease, and 22 healthy controls were enrolled. Peripheral DNA damage was assayed using alkaline comet assay. Median DNA damage levels of the study groups were as follows: hepatitis C (+) maintenance hemodialysis subjects, 88 (0–232); hepatitis C (−) maintenance hemodialysis subjects, 58 (0–228); hepatitis C (+) subjects without renal disease, 112 (44–252); controls, 26 (0–72). DNA damage level was significantly higher among hepatitis C (+) subjects without renal disease than hepatitis C (−) maintenance hemodialysis subjects and healthy controls (both p p p  > 0.05/6). Linear regression analysis revealed that hepatitis C infection was the only independent factor in predicting the peripheral DNA damage ( p β  = 0.395). Each one of end-stage renal disease and hepatitis C infection significantly increases DNA damage level. However, in hemodialysis subjects, hepatitis C infection does not cause significant additional increase in DNA damage level, and it may be partly due to protective effect of hemodialysis on hepatitis C infection.