A prospective study of hepatitis C virus infection among renal transplant recipients

Chronic non-A, non-B hepatitis is a major cause of liver disease in renal transplant recipients.

One hundred eight-five renal allograft recipients, including 151 who had been prospectively followed up for 24 months, were studied to determine the prevalence and course of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Antibody to HCV (anti-HCV) was measured by enzyme immunoassay, and HCV RNA was measured by nested polymerase chain reaction assay.

Twenty-three (12.4%) patients were positive for anti-HCV and/or HCV RNA: 19 (10.3%) were anti-HCV positive; and HCV RNA was detected in 18 (94.7%) anti-HCV-positive and 4 (2.4%) anti-HCV-negative patients. Markers of HCV infection persisted in all HCV-positive patients over the 2-year period. Most HCV-positive patients acquired HCV infection before or at the time of transplantation. The incidence of new infection after transplantation was 0.45% per patient-year. Anti-HCV and/or HCV RNA was detected in 75% of patients with biochemical chronic non-A, non-B hepatitis, but transaminase levels were persistently normal in 30.4% of HCV-positive individuals.

HCV infection is common among renal transplant recipients. Testing for HCV RNA is important because some patients might not produce anti-HCV. Transaminase levels cannot be used as a surrogate marker of HCV infection in these patients.