الفهرس 
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Abstract
Infection with HCV is the most common liver disease in HD patients, while liver disease is a significant cause of morbidity in patients with end stage renal disease treated by dialysis or transplan¬tation.
The prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is estimated to be 2% worldwide, Egypt has the largest epidemic of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in the world with 14.7% of the population are infected with HCV.
The prevalence of anti-HCV positivity among dialysis patients varies in different countries (5%-85% worldwide), but may exceed 95% in some HD units.
Our study included all ESRD patients undergoing HD in EL-MINIA governorate. There were 1567 patients undergoing HD in EL-MINIA governorate distributed in 16 HD units. Most of these HD units are in EL-Minia city (4 centers),3 in Samalut , 2 in Bani Mazzar, Maghagha and one center in EL Fekreia, Malaway, Dermawas, El Edewa and Mataa, 13 units were governmental having 1417 patients (90.4%) while only 3 centers were private having 149 (9.5%) patients.
Our study revealed that two third of our patients (61.07%) were males. The mean bulk of the affected patients were in their reproductive age as the mean age of affection was 49.8 ±12.7years.
This study revealed the most common causes of renal failure EL-MINIA Governorate were hypertension (28.59%), Diabetes mellitus (25.78%), unknown (23.74%), and chronic pyelonephritis (11.04%).
Out of 1567 HD patients HCVAbs were positive in 1017 patients with a prevalence of (64.9%), while HBsAg was positive in only 19 patients (1.21%) and ten patients had combined positive HCVAbs and HBsAg.
At the start of dialysis, there were 808 (51.56%) patients who tested +ve for HCV-Abs, while there was 740 (47.22%) HCV-Abs –ve patients. Out of these HCV-Abs –ve patients 209 (28.24%) patients showed HCV-Abs seroconversion.
In the present study we searched for the factors associated with HCV seroconversion, some of these factors were of a statistically significant value like; previous blood transfusion, previous surgery switching between dialysis places and family history of HCV. Other factors like age, sex, vascular access isolation procedures, infection control measures, were of no significant value.
Protocols to minimize virus transmission have been in place in HD units for many years. Even so, our study demonstrated that HCV seroconversion persists within dialysis units, the observed persistence of HCV seroconversion within dialysis units makes reevaluation of infection control practice patterns highly relevant.