Source
Department of Nephrology, Kaunas University of Medicine, Kaunas, Lithuania. arvydas.dargevicius@gmail.com
Abstract
The objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence of antibodies to hantaviruses among hemodialysis patients with end-stage renal failure in Kaunas and its district.
MATERIAL AND METHODS:
Serums of 218 patients from four dialysis centers of Kaunas district were tested by using the immunoglobulin G antibody-capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The reactivity of ELISA-positive sera was proven in Western blot tests using various hantavirus recombinant nucleocapsid proteins. The yeast-expressed nucleocapsid proteins were used for testing.
RESULTS:
Antibodies against Dobrava/Hantaan and Puumala hantaviruses were found in 16 patients (seroprevalence 7.4%). Most of the sera were positive for Dobrava hantavirus (81%). The ratio of males to females was 1.2:1. Seroprevalence was significantly higher in older patients.
CONCLUSIONS:
Results indicate that antibodies to two hantaviruses (Dobrava/Hantaan virus and Puumala virus) are prevalent among hemodialysis patients in Kaunas district with approximately the same seroprevalence as in neighboring countries.