Outcomes of Renal Allograft Recipients With Hepatitis C

Background. Studies on the effect of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection showed decreased graft survival compared to HCV-negative matched patients. It was also identified as an independent risk factor for graft loss and mortality in kidney transplantation patients. Objective. This study was designed to evaluate the 10-year graft and patient outcomes of renal allograft recipients with HCV infection at the National Kidney and Transplant Institute. Methods. This is a retrospective study of patients who underwent renal transplantation with HCV infection and a group who were HCV-negative in the same post-transplantation period. Data were gathered from the in-patient and out-patient clinic records. Results. Patient survival was significantly lower in the HCV-positive than in the HCV-negative group. The mean duration of patient survival was 154.95 (+4.95) months (12 years and 10 months) in HCV-negative patients compared to 141 (+6.52) months (11 years and 9 months) in the HCV-positive group (P = .05). Graft survival did not differ significantly between HCV-positive and HCV-negative recipients (P = .734). The mean duration of graft survival was 137 (+7.68) months (11 years and 5 months) in HCV-negative patients compared to 130 (+6.84) months (10 years and 10 months) in HCV-positive patients. Short and long-term outcomes including biopsy-proven acute rejection, transplant glomerulopathy, chronic allograft nephropathy, renal function, and proteinuria were similar in both groups. Conclusion. Rejection, glomerulopathy, and renal function were similar in both groups. HCV progression was also observed in patients with detectable HCV-RNA 6 months before transplantation.