|
|
Background: This study investigates the seroprevalence of mycoplasma pneumonia (M. pneumoniae) in patients with hepatitis C viral (HCV) infection undergoing hemodialysis (HD).
Methods: One hundred and nine HD patients were randomly selected from a medical center in Taiwan. Among the subjects, 42 patients (aged 60.93 ± 13.94 years) had HCV infection and 67 patients (aged 64.87 ± 13.02 years) did not have HCV infection. All subjects were analyzed for serum antibodies to HCV and M. pneumonia. Biochemical testing of liver function included aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase, and gammaglutamyl transferase.
Results: Seroprevalence of M. pneumoniae (p = 0.023) and levels of AST (p = 0.006) and ALT (p < 0.001) were significantly higher for HCV seropositive HD patients than for HCV seronegative HD patients. HCV seropositive HD patients had a significantly increased risk of infection with M. pneumoniae (ORs, 2.475; 95% CIs, 1.099 - 5.571) and high ALT level (HAL) (ORs, 5.020; 95% CIs, 1.250 - 20.164, p = 0.018). The serum AST and ALT levels of HD patients with HCV and M. pneumoniae infection were significantly higher than those of non-HCV and non-M. pneumoniae infected HD patients (p = 0.017 and p = 0.001, respectively). HAL were observed significantly in HCV infection and M. pneumoniae co-infection HD patients (p = 0.023).
Conclusions: This study demonstrates that high M. pneumoniae infection in HCV-infected HD patients and that it was a factor exacerbating liver dysfunction.
DOI: 10.7754/Clin.Lab.2012.111216
|
