AIM Study molecular epidemiology of hepatitis C (HC) in 5 departments of hemodialysis (DH) in St. Petersburg. MATERIALS AND METHODS Sequences of nucleotides of 93 isolates including 67 isolates from patents of 5 DH and 26 isolates from patients, who never had hemodialysis in anamnesis, were obtained in 2010 by a method of limited sequencing of NS5B region of HC virus genome. Phyologenetic analysis was carried out by using PHYLIP veision 3.69 program package. Evolution differences were evaluated in DNADIST program using F84 algorithm. Phylogenetic trees were constructed by using nearest neighbor and UOGMA methods in PHYLIP program package. RESULTS Subtype 1b was established to dominate in all the DH (69.2 - 92.9%) and the same isolates of HC virus were detected in DH, that were isolated for the first time in 1999. Comparatively higher proportion of isolates of HC subgenotype 3a (26.7 - 30.8%) was detected in 2 of 5 DH in 2010. The same proportion of 3a isolates was detected in the control group. CONCLUSION The fact that HC 3a virus isolates were detected in DH in a higher proportion is proof that they have successfully integrated into circulation among dialysis patients over the last decade. ,
Abstract. Hemo-contact viral hepatitis B and C is significant public health problem in hospitals and particularly in hemodialisys units. To define modern situation of the problem the retrospective study of viral hepatitis B and C registration in hemodialysis units in Saint-Petersburg in 1997–2007 as well as testing of 295 patients from four units for serological markers of hepatitis B and C (HBsAg, anti-HBs, anti-HBc, anti-HCV) have been conducted. It was determined that registration of hepatitis B in the study period was 5,2 cases per 1000 patients/per year, hepatitis C — 8,2 cases per 1000 patients/per year. These rates were significantly higher than in the total city population. The serological markers of ongoing or past HBV/HCV infection were revealed in 78,3 per 100 patients. Obtained results confirm intensive viral circulation in hemodialysis units. Additional study of transmission routes using molecular epidemiology techniques is required.