Prevalence of seroconversion of hepatitis C virus among children with chronic kidney disease on regular hemodialysis

Abstract Introduction Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in hemodialysis patients. hepatitis C virus infection is one of the most common blood-borne infections in Egypt. Objective To detect the prevalence of HCV infection and seroconversion among all hemodialysis in Assiut University Children’s Hospital Dialysis unit (ACUH). Methodology This study was Ambispective study. A total of 70 patients were included; the retrospective component includes patients who received hemodialysis between January 2018 and September 2023. the prospective component, covering October 2023 to October 2025. The study is conducted at the Children’s Dialysis Unit at AUCH. Results HCV seroconversion occurred in 28 (40.0%) patients. Seroconversion was associated with longer hemodialysis duration, with a progressive decline in HCV-free survival as dialysis duration increased. In Cox proportional hazards regression analysis, hemodialysis duration was the only independent predictor of HCV seroconversion in both univariable (HR = 0.721, 95% CI: 0.588–0.882, p = 0.002) and multivariable analyses (adjusted HR = 0.479, 95% CI: 0.294–0.779, p = 0.003). No significant independent associations were observed for CVC duration, history of blood transfusion, hemodialysis outside AUCH, or vascular access type. The annual incidence of seroconversion declined from 10.6% in 2018 to 5.0% in 2023, with no new cases recorded in 2024 or 2025, coinciding with the implementation and reinforcement of infection control measures. Conclusion HCV seroconversion remains a significant concern among paediatric hemodialysis patients; however, the incidence markedly declined due to effective infection control measures.