Prevalence of Hepatitis C Virus Infection in Hemodialysis Patients in Egypt: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Background: Patients on hemodialysis (HD) are at high risk of acquiring hepatitis c virus (HCV) infection which is associated with significant morbidity and mortality in this subpopulation. The aim of this work was to establish a comprehensive characterization of HCV epidemiology among HD patients in Egypt. Methods: In this systematic review we gathered all reports related to HCV prevalence among HD patients in Egypt published between 2010 through 2022. Studies that had proper sampling and measurement method as well as valid statistical analysis were selected. Results: A high overall prevalence of HCV infection among HD patients in Egypt is (45.13%) which is considerably higher than the global levels. Strikingly, 7.14% of HD patients developed serconversion while on HD, thus highlighting the acquisition of HCV infection during HD. Furthermore, the overall prevalence of HCV infection in HD patients was much higher than that in the general population in all included studies, reinforcing the role of HD in the transmission of HCV infection among HD patients. The decline in HCV prevalence among HD patients in Egypt from 65% in the year 2016, to 41% in the year 2017, to 34.8% by the year 2020, reflects improved standards of infection control in HD centers. Conclusions: Egypt is challenged with a very high HCV prevalence among HD patients, with evidence for some ongoing HCV transmission. It is important for health care policy makers and health care providers to deal with the mechanisms of HCV transmission in HD units and treat infected HD patients to reduce the transmission rates as well as the prevalence of HCV among HD patients.