Aspirin for Preventing Hemodialysis-associated Chronic Hepatitis C Infections

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate whether aspirin therapy is effective in protecting against hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in maintenance hemodialysis patients, one of the high-risk groups for HCV infection. Materials and Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study included 408 patients with end-stage renal failure who underwent maintenance hemodialysis for at least 3 months in four private hemodialysis units in Hatay, Turkey, in January 2017. The patients were classified into two groups according to their aspirin exposure status: non-users (n=228) and regular aspirin users (n=180). The proportion of patients with hemodialysis-related chronic hepatitis C (CHC) was compared between the groups. Irregular aspirin users, patients infected with HBV or diagnosed with CHC before initiation of hemodialysis therapy were excluded from the study. Results: The prevalence of hemodialysis-related CHC was 3.9% among the 408 patients. Hemodialysis-related CHC was not seen in any of the 180 regular aspirin users. Regular aspirin users showed a significantly lower prevalence of hemodialysis-related CHC than non-users (p<0.001). There was a significant (p<0.001), but weak (Cramer's V=0.180) correlation between hemodialysis-related CHC and aspirin exposure status. Conclusion: These results indicated that regular use of aspirin might be linked to a lower risk of hemodialysis-related CHC. However, further prospective studies are required to confirm this association.