Utilising organs from hepatitis C virus PCR-positive donors in Western Australia

Area of Science:

• Hepatology
• Transplant Surgery
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection poses challenges for organ donation.
• Utilizing organs from HCV-positive donors can expand the donor pool.
• Advances in antiviral therapy offer new possibilities for managing HCV in transplant recipients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the safety and efficacy of utilizing solid organs from HCV PCR-positive donors in Australia.
• To assess the outcomes of recipients treated with direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) post-transplant.
• To determine the feasibility of expanding organ transplantation from HCV-positive donors.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of solid organ transplants performed between 2018-2023.
• Identification of donors positive for hepatitis C virus (HCV) by PCR.
• Treatment of recipients with glecaprevir/pibrentasvir or sofosbuvir/velpatasvir for 4-12 weeks.

Main Results:

• Six solid organs were transplanted from three HCV PCR-positive donors.
• All six recipients achieved sustained virological response (SVR).
• No significant adverse events were reported in the recipients during treatment.

Conclusions:

• Solid organ transplantation from HCV PCR-positive donors is safe and effective in Australia.
• Direct-acting antiviral therapy is highly successful in treating HCV in transplant recipients.
• This practice can be safely expanded to increase organ availability.