Leukopenia and thrombocytopenia in hemodialysis patients with hepatitis B or C virus infection and non-hemodialysis patients with hepatitis cirrhosis

Aims: To investigate the relation of leukopenia and thrombocytopenia in hemodialysis (HD) patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Materials and methods: The study included 86 HD patients with hepatitis B surface antigen-negative and hepatitis C antibody-negative, 28 LID patients with hepatitis C antibody-positive, 22 HD patients with hepatitis B surface antigen-positive, 78 non-HD patients with hepatitis B-induced liver cirrhosis and 38 non-hemodialysis patients with hepatitis C-induced liver cirrhosis. The following parameters were checked: anti-HCV, hepatitis B surface antigen, hemoglobin, hematocrit, white blood cells, platelets, calcium, phosphate, iron, ferritin, albumin, globulin, aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT) and C'-reactive protein. The history of blood transfusions, medications, erythropoietin doses and adequate dialysis (KT/V) for 6 consecutive months was also recorded from charts. Results: The HD patients with positive serum anti-HCV and non-HD patients with hepatitis B- or C-induced liver cirrhosis had higher prevalences of leukopenia (39.3%, 43.6% and 50% vs. 15.1%; p 0.05). Conclusions: HCV infection associated with leukopenia and/or thrombocytopenia in HD patients is as common as in non-HD patients with liver cirrhosis. This may be due to the direct effect of hemopoiesis rather than the hyperspleenism of liver cirrhosis patients. There is a need for further prospective investigation to ascertain the clinical significance of leukopenia and thrombocytopenia in HD patients with anti-HCV(+). The prevalence of leukopenia and thrombocytopenia was higher in HD patients with hepatitis C than in LID patients with hepatitis B and HD patient without hepatitis.