Seroprevalence and outcome of hepatitis C in liver transplantation

A recombinant enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) followed by a neutralization test (NT) and recombinant immunoblot assay (RIBA) were used for the detection of antibody to hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV) in 71 patients receiving 84 orthotopic liver grafts between 1984 and 1990. Before the liver transplantation (LTX) anti-HCV was present in six of the 71 recipients (8.5%) who were accepted for LTX because of acute or chronic liver failure. After LTX anti-HCV could not be detected in one of the patients, but it was continuously present in the others for more than 12 months. Detectable HCV antibodies were not present in the three patients who underwent LTX because of clinical evidence of fulminant NANB hepatitis. Two of 48 (4.2%) previously HCV seronegative recipients, who survived more than 3 months, seroconverted 9 and 16 months, respectively, after transplantation. The postoperative seroconversion was probably due to the transfer of virus via perioperative blood transfusions. Thus, these liver recipients may be able to respond by producing anti-HCV despite immunosuppressive therapy. None of the seven post-transplant HCV-seropositive patients developed symptoms such as icterus or fatigue, which would suggest the presence of liver insufficiency due to HCV infection. However, two of them had increased transaminase levels and histological signs of mild hepatitis. No significant difference was found in 1-year survival, prothrombin complex, albumin levels or the risk for retransplantation in post-transplant anti-HCV-seropositive patients, compared with those without detectable HCV antibodies (71% vs 69%, respectively). Thus, during the study period of 1-5 years, the clinical course of HCV infection was milder than that reported for hepatitis B infection in liver recipients.