Hepatitis C virus infection in liver allograft recipients.
The impact of HCV infection after liver transplantation remains a topic of discussion. The aims of this study were to define the prevalence of anti-HCV antibodies in liver donors; the risk of acquired HCV infection and HCV re-infection according to the pre-transplant anti-HCV status; the prevalence of HCV infection in post-transplant chronic hepatitis. Sera from 42 recipients with follow up longer than 6 months and their donors were tested for anti-HCV. By results at pre-transplant time patients were classified as follows: donor (D) negative and recipient (R) negative (D-/R-) 31; D-/R+ 9; D+/R- 1; D+/R+ 1. Twenty-one patients with sustained hepatic dysfunction underwent liver biopsy. In group D-/R-, 5 patients showed anti-HCV positivity and 3 (9.7%) of them had acquired HCV hepatitis. In group D-/R+, 6 patients showed persistent anti-HCV positivity and 4 (44.4%) of them had recurrent HCV hepatitis; of these 2 died due to liver failure. The 2 patients of groups D+/R- and D+/R+ had normal liver function. Anti-HCV negative hepatitis was found in 2 patients. The prevalence of anti-HCV positivity in liver donors appeared low (3.2%). Acquired HCV infection rate was 9.7%. Pre-transplant HCV infection led to a high incidence of recurrence (44.4%). HCV was the major etiological agent in post-transplant chronic hepatitis (77.8%).
Caccamo
L
L
Istituto di Chirurgia Sperimentale e dei Trapianti Centro Trapianto Fegato, Università di Milano, Ospedale Maggiore I.R.C.C.S., Italy.
Colledan
M
M
Gridelli
B
B
Rossi
G
G
Doglia
M
M
Gatti
S
S
Ghidoni
P
P
Lucianetti
A
A
Lunghi
G
G
Maggi
U
U
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D015994:Incidence; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012306:Risk; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D014019:Tissue Donors
D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies