Hepatitis C virus and renal transplantation

During the past 12 months additional evidence has emerged from several studies, indicating that hepatitis C virus infection is the most important liver disease after renal transplantation. A new, severe and rare entity called fibrosing cholestatic hepatitis can lead to early liver failure, although the most important complications appeared in the long-run. Encouraging results with ribavirin have been described. Although glomerular lesions and more severe infections can appear in hepatitis C virus patients, graft and patient survival rates in most series are similar to those in hepatitis-C-negative patients. Survival is also better among hepatitis-C-positive patients after renal transplantation than in hepatitis-C-positive patients on dialysis on the waiting list for transplantation. Finally, the use of kidneys from hepatitis-C-positive donors is suggested for transplant into hepatitis C RNA positive patients matching the hepatitis C genotype.