Hepatitis C virus and renal transplantation

Curr Opin Nephrol Hypertens. 1998 Mar;7(2):177-83. doi: 10.1097/00041552-199803000-00006.

Abstract

During the past 12 months additional evidence has emerged from several studies, indicating that hepatitis C virus infection is the most important liver disease after renal transplantation. A new, severe and rare entity called fibrosing cholestatic hepatitis can lead to early liver failure, although the most important complications appeared in the long-run. Encouraging results with ribavirin have been described. Although glomerular lesions and more severe infections can appear in hepatitis C virus patients, graft and patient survival rates in most series are similar to those in hepatitis-C-negative patients. Survival is also better among hepatitis-C-positive patients after renal transplantation than in hepatitis-C-positive patients on dialysis on the waiting list for transplantation. Finally, the use of kidneys from hepatitis-C-positive donors is suggested for transplant into hepatitis C RNA positive patients matching the hepatitis C genotype.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Graft Rejection
  • Graft Survival
  • Hepacivirus / physiology*
  • Hepatitis C / etiology
  • Hepatitis C / prevention & control
  • Humans
  • Kidney Diseases / virology
  • Kidney Transplantation*
  • Postoperative Complications / prevention & control
  • Tissue Donors