Effect of hepatitis C virus on C-reactive protein and interleukin-6 in hemodialysis patients.

Introduction: Patients with end-stage renal disease are at a high risk of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections. These patients are on maintenance hemodialysis where they are exposed to dialysis fluid and dialysis membrane that generate an acute-phase response, which leads to inflammation, reflected in increased inflammatory markers like C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6). The aim of this study was to investigate levels of IL-6 and CRP in patients on hemodialysis and to determine effects of HCV on these markers.