Results. Forty-three studies met our inclusion criteria. The pooled prevalence of HCV infection among HD patients in China was 41.1% (95% CI 39.5-42.6%). No significant difference was found in HCV infection rates between male and female HD patients (OR = 0.75, 95% CI 0.52-1.07, p = 0.11). HD patients with blood transfusion were 5.65 times more likely to be infected with HCV than HD patients without blood transfusion. A longer duration of HD was associated with increased HCV prevalence. Co-infection with hepatitis B virus did not increase the probability of HCV infection among HD patients (OR = 1.19, 95% CI 0.34-3.20, p = 0.73). Conclusions.

Viral hepatitis is still one of the main complications in HD patients, CHIR98014 solubility dmso with hepatitis C being the most common one. The key to reducing the incidence of viral hepatitis in HD patients is to control contagion and reduce the frequency of blood transfusion and cross-infection.”
“The aim of this study is to assess the gender differences in spondyloarthritides (SpAs) in terms of disease onset, clinical presentation, and the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity and Functional indices (BASDAI and BASFI). We analysed data from a predominantly female cohort. Five hundred and 16 patients (male:female=172:344)

with SpA who were assessed at our clinic were asked to complete a questionnaire addressing data related to their disease onset (first symptom at presentation, age at which the first symptom presented, age of diagnosis, and delay Dibutyryl-cAMP purchase in diagnosis), clinical presentation (main problem the disease caused Ruboxistaurin in vitro them, night pain/sleep disturbance, well-being over the past week, and well-being over the previous 6 months), disease activity indices (erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP) and BASDAI), and functional index

(BASH). Compared with men, women had greater age at presentation, longer disease duration, more delayed diagnoses and greater age at diagnosis. Back pain was the main presenting symptom equally distributed for both genders. Women had more neck, knee and hip pain as presenting symptoms, while men experienced more feet pain. Back pain is also the main problem that the disease is causing to both sexes. More women had lower back pain, fatigue, neck pain, and pain with pressure as the main problems caused by the disease, while men had more joint pains. Women had significantly greater night pain and sleep disturbance than men. Furthermore, they experienced a worse well-being over past week and over past 6 months in addition to a higher mean ESR (P<0.005), CRP (NS), BASDAI (P<0.005) and BASFI (P<0.05) scores. With regard to the items of the BASDAI index, it displays that women experienced significantly more fatigue (BASDAI 1; P<0.001), total back pain (BASDAI 2; P<0.05), and longer duration of morning stiffness (BASDAI 6; P=0.09).