الفهرس 
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Abstract
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is highly prevalent among patients on HD. The prevalence of HCV infection in HD patients varies markedly from country to country. Some factors are especially related to these high prevalence rates, such as blood transfusions and length of dialysis time. Nosocomial routes of transmission are considered more important.
HCV-infected patients receiving HD treatment had lower ALT levels and viral loads, and their liver biopsies showed a lower degree of inflammatory activity and less fibrosis compared with patients with normal renal function. Less inflammatory activity in serum and liver tissue indicates that HD and uremia may have a protective role against progression of HCV-associated liver disease.
Because it is not always safe to treat HCV infection after kidney transplantation, antiviral treatment should be implemented before transplantation, that is, while the patient is on dialysis therapy. The evidence suggests that treatment might be based on alpha interferon (standard or pegylated), this results in a high rate of sustained viral clearance.
The level of (HRQOL) is much lower for HCV-infected HD patients than for the general population due to increased prevalence of morbidities.