Accepting Hearts From Hepatitis C-Positive Donor: Can We Expand the Donor Pool?

Until recently, transplantation from hepatitis C-positive donors was relatively contraindicated as eradication of active hepatitis C previously required an interferon-based regimen that has been associated with rejection in solid organ transplantation. New interferon-free treatment regimens for hepatitis C have fewer adverse events and higher cure rates than interferon-based regimens. Interferon-free regimens have been shown to be safe in the liver transplantation literature, but little is known about the safety and efficacy of treatment in heart transplantation.

Here we report a case of successful eradication of hepatitis C with a non-interferon-based regimen using ledipasvir-sofosbuvir following combined orthotopic heart and liver transplantation. Based on the prevalence of hepatitis C in the general population, inclusion of hepatitis C-positive donors for heart transplantation can expand this component of the donor pool 3- to 6-fold.

In carefully selected patients and recipients, inclusion of hepatitis C-positive donors may allow for expansion of the donor pool.