Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 8, 2026
A Protocol for Analyzing Hepatitis C Virus Replication
Published on: June 26, 2014
Hepatitis C and kidney disease: A narrative review
Rashad S Barsoum1, Emad A William2, Soha S Khalil3
1Kasr-El-Aini Medical School, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt; The Cairo Kidney Center, Cairo, Egypt.
Insights
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection causes kidney damage through immune complexes and direct effects, increasing risks for dialysis and transplant patients. Directly acting antiviral agents (DAAs) offer effective treatment, improving outcomes in endemic areas.
Area of Science:
- Nephrology
- Hepatology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a significant cause of kidney injury, primarily through immune complex deposition and cryoglobulinemia.
- HCV can lead to acute kidney injury (AKI) within systemic vasculitis and exacerbates AKI from other causes.
- It contributes to glomerulonephritis and accelerates chronic kidney disease progression, increasing mortality in dialysis patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the impact of Hepatitis C virus infection on kidney disease.
- To discuss the role of immune-complexes, cryoglobulins, and direct viral effects in HCV-induced nephropathy.
- To highlight the benefits of directly acting antiviral agents (DAAs) and propose a prioritization system for treatment in endemic regions.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies on HCV infection and kidney disease.
- Analysis of mechanisms of HCV-related kidney injury, including glomerulonephritis and vasculitis.
- Evaluation of the impact of HCV on dialysis and kidney transplant outcomes.
- Discussion of current and emerging antiviral therapies, focusing on DAAs.
Main Results:
- HCV infection is associated with mesangiocapillary or membranous glomerulonephritis and accelerates chronic kidney disease.
- HCV increases cardiovascular and liver-related mortality in dialysis patients and poses risks for post-transplant complications.
- DAAs are effective and safe treatments for HCV across different stages of kidney disease.
- A scoring system for treatment prioritization is proposed due to DAA scarcity in highly endemic areas.
Conclusions:
- Directly acting antiviral agents (DAAs) represent a paradigm shift in managing HCV-related kidney disease.
- Strategic use of DAAs can significantly alter the epidemiology and clinical course of kidney disease in HCV-infected individuals.
- Improved dialysis and transplant outcomes are anticipated with widespread DAA implementation in endemic regions.
Abstract:
Hepatitis-C (HCV) infection can induce kidney injury, mostly due to formation of immune-complexes and cryoglobulins, and possibly to a direct cytopathic effect. It may cause acute kidney injury (AKI) as a part of systemic vasculitis, and augments the risk of AKI due to other etiologies. It is responsible for mesangiocapillary or membranous glomerulonephritis, and accelerates the progression of chronic kidney disease due to other causes. HCV infection increases cardiovascular and liver-related mortality in patients on regular dialysis. HCV-infected patients are at increased risk of acute post-transplant complications. Long-term graft survival is compromised by recurrent or de novo glomerulonephritis, or chronic transplant glomerulopathy. Patient survival is challenged by increased incidence of diabetes, sepsis, post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease, and liver failure. Effective and safe directly acting antiviral agents (DAAs) are currently available for treatment at different stages of kidney disease. However, the relative shortage of DAAs in countries where HCV is highly endemic imposes a need for treatment-prioritization, for which a scoring system is proposed in this review. It is concluded that the thoughtful use of DAAs, will result in a significant change in the epidemiology and clinical profiles of kidney disease, as well as improvement of dialysis and transplant outcomes, in endemic areas.
