Exploring the association between hepatitis C virus infection, and serum platelet factor 4 and RANTES levels in patients with chronic kidney disease 

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection are critical health concerns. Individuals with CKD are more susceptible to HCV infection owing to their weakened immune systems. Chemokines, such as regulated upon activation, normal T-cell expressed and secreted (RANTES) and platelet factor 4 (PF4) play a crucial role in both illnesses, as they ind∂uce long-term inflammation and activate platelets. PF4 and RANTES are known to promote blood vessel inflammation and immune system alterations; however, knowledge regarding their roles in individuals with CKD and concomitant HCV infection is limited. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the effects of HCV infection on the levels of PF4 and RANTES in the bloodstream of patients with CKD. For this purpose, a case-control study involving 270 participants (90 healthy individuals, 90 patients with CKD without HCV infection and 90 patients with CKD with HCV infection) was conducted. All patients with CKD had stage 5 disease (end-stage renal disease) and required maintenance hemodialysis. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was employed to determine the serum concentrations of PF4 and RANTES. While patients CKD without HCV infection exhibited significantly higher blood PF4 levels (11.24±12.49 ng/ml), those with HCV infection had even higher values (17.66±13.92 ng/ml) than the healthy controls (7.26±3.84 ng/ml; P<0.001). The highest concentrations were found in patients with CKD and comorbid HCV infection. RANTES levels were also significantly higher in patients with CKD without HCV infection (4,837.48±104.60 pg/ml) and those with HCV infection (4,850.91±23.63 pg/ml) than in the healthy controls (3,181.93±1,461.16 pg/ml; P<0.001). On the whole, these results indicate that patients with CKD have significantly higher levels of PF4 and RANTES than healthy controls, with the highest levels occurring in patients with CKD with HCV infection.