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Background: Despite improvement in hepatitis B infection prevention through national vaccination programs, implementation of compulsory and thorough blood donor screening, and reduction of transfusion numbers due to erythropoietin administration, hepatitis B remains a major concern in hemodialysis (HD) centers (1). Compared to a response rate of over 90% in the normal population, only 50 to 60% of those with endstage renal disease (ESRD) achieve protective antibody levels following immunization against hepatitis B (2, 3). Various strategies have been developed to overcome the low seroconversion rate in ESRD patients, including co-administering zinc, gamma-interferon, thymopentin, interleukin-2, and levamisole as immunostimulants or adjuvants (3, 4), changing the injection mode (intradermal versus intramuscular), or doubling the vaccine dose (5). Objectives: Previous studies demonstrated that renal failure patients benefit from HBV vaccination; however, not all studies have demonstrated this. Therefore, we compared the rates of seroconversion (hepatitis B surface antibody [HBsAb] titer > 10 IU/mL) in patients at various stages of chronic kidney disease (CKD) (estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR] < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2) who received HBV vaccination. Patients and Methods: A total of 167 patients in 3 different stages of CKD were vaccinated against HBV. Each patient received the vaccine according to a standardized vaccination schedule consisting of 40 μg of the recombinant vaccine "Engerix" at 0, 1, and 6 months. Eight to 12 weeks after the last dose of vaccination, anti-HBsAb levels were measured. Results: Mean age and eGFR were 57.4 ± 16.5 years and 26.7 ± 14.7 mL/min/1.73 m2, respectively. The overall seroconversion rate was 78%. Although a significant correlation between HBsAb titer and eGFR (r = 0.265, P = 0.001) was observed, in the multivariate analysis using age, CKD stage, diabetes mellitus, and gender as independent variables, the degree of renal function did not significantly contribute to seroconversion. In contrast, higher age (> 60 years) showed a significant negative correlation to seroconversion (odds ratio = 0.22; P = 0.004). Conclusions: CKD patients of advanced age should be vaccinated against HBV. Although higher eGFR was not associated with improved seroconversion, the persistence of seroconversion was not evaluated; future studies should be conducted to develop recommendations for earlier or later vaccination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objectives. The rapid increase in end stage renal disease (ESRD) prevalence, plus the enormous cost of treatment, necessitates an urgent approach to implement strategies to prevent development and progression of ESRD, especially in the developing world. Screening that leads to early identification and treatment has been recommended, as it may slow or prevent progression to a more expensive and disabling stage of the disease and thus may save lives as well as finite resources. Methods. In 2007, the Healthy City Office of Tehran municipality conducted a large-scale population-based cross-sectional survey titled “Kidney Disease Screening of Taxi Drivers in Tehran.” Taxi drivers or applicants of purchasing taxi participated in mentioned screening program in the last three months of 2007. Demographic data, blood pressure, and history of hypertension or smoking—and then in specific laboratories creatinine, lipid profile, complete blood count, fasting blood sugar, and urinalysis—have been checked. Results. The survey covered 31,999 people across Tehran (in a population of 12 million) during the study period. The mean and SD of age of participants was 43.77 ± 11.32 (range from18 to 86) years, and 98.4% (31,489) were male. Using the MDRD equation, overall prevalence of eGFR <60 mL/min/1.73 m2 was 6.5%. However, the prevalence was 6.4% (1982/30949) in males in relation to 13.7% (69/503) in females. Mean and SD of BMI in males and females were 25.90 ± 3.91 and 26.48 ± 4.50 g, respectively. The overall prevalence of proteinuria (≥1+ proteinuria) was 0.6% in males vs. 1.8% in females in normal GFR group. Age, LDL cholesterol, hypertension, blood glucose, and BMI showed to be strong risk factors for low GFR. Education level did not show a significant correlation with low GFR. Discussion and conclusions. The findings of the study insist on the fact that CKD prevalence is significantly higher in old age, females, hypertensives, and uncontrolled diabetic patients. Our ability to decrease the incidence of ESRD is predicated on recognizing those patients with CKD and implementing all preventive strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]