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Hepatitis C virus infection in liver allograft recipients

L Caccamo1, M Colledan, B Gridelli

  • 1Istituto di Chirurgia Sperimentale e dei Trapianti Centro Trapianto Fegato, Università di Milano, Ospedale Maggiore I.R.C.C.S., Italy.

Archives of Virology. Supplementum
|January 1, 1993
PubMed

Insights

Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infection significantly impacts liver transplant outcomes. Pre-transplant HCV infection in recipients leads to high recurrence rates, emphasizing the need for careful donor-recipient screening.

Area of Science:

  • Hepatology
  • Transplantation Immunology
  • Virology

Background:

  • Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infection poses challenges in liver transplantation.
  • Understanding HCV transmission dynamics and post-transplant outcomes is crucial for patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the prevalence of anti-HCV antibodies in liver donors.
  • To assess the risk of HCV infection and re-infection in recipients based on pre-transplant anti-HCV status.
  • To evaluate the prevalence of HCV in post-transplant chronic hepatitis.

Main Methods:

  • Sera from 42 liver transplant recipients and their donors were tested for anti-HCV antibodies.
  • Patients were categorized based on pre-transplant donor (D) and recipient (R) anti-HCV status (D-/R-, D-/R+, D+/R-, D+/R+).
  • Liver biopsies were performed on 21 patients with sustained hepatic dysfunction.

Main Results:

  • The prevalence of anti-HCV positivity in liver donors was low (3.2%).
  • Acquired HCV infection occurred in 9.7% of recipients in the D-/R- group.
  • Recurrent HCV hepatitis was high (44.4%) in the D-/R+ group, with 2 deaths due to liver failure.
  • HCV was the primary cause of post-transplant chronic hepatitis (77.8%).

Conclusions:

  • Pre-transplant HCV infection in recipients is associated with a high incidence of recurrence after liver transplantation.
  • HCV remains a significant etiological factor in chronic hepatitis post-liver transplant.
  • Careful donor-recipient screening for anti-HCV status is essential to minimize transmission and recurrence.

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