title: Hepatitis C virus infection in kidney transplant recipients.
abstract: To determine the prevalence and significance of hepatitis C virus infection in kidney transplant recipients, paired serum samples collected from 100 renal allograft recipients on admission for kidney transplantation and 1 yr after transplantation were tested for antibody to hepatitis C virus with second-generation enzyme immunoassay and recombinant immunoblot assay and for hepatitis C virus RNA with reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Before kidney transplantation, hepatitis C virus antibody was detected with second-generation enzyme immunoassay in 18 patients (12 second-generation recombinant immunoblot assay-positive, 6 second-generation recombinant immunoblot assay-indeterminate). Nine of 12 second-generation recombinant immunoblot assay-positive and 2 of 6 second-generation recombinant immunoblot assay-indeterminate samples were hepatitis C virus RNA positive. In addition, 7 of 82 patients who had no detectable antibody on second-generation enzyme immunoassay or second-generation recombinant immunoblot assay were hepatitis C virus RNA positive. After kidney transplantation, hepatitis C virus antibody was detected in 19 patients (12 second-generation recombinant immunoblot assay-positive, 7 second-generation recombinant immunoblot assay-indeterminate, 14 seropositive for hepatitis C virus antibody). Eleven of 12 patients with second-generation recombinant immunoblot assay-positive results and 4 of 7 with second-generation recombinant immunoblot assay-indeterminate results were positive for hepatitis C virus RNA. Hepatitis C virus RNA was present in 28 patients 1 yr after kidney transplantation. Six patients appeared to have acquired active hepatitis C virus infection 1 yr after kidney transplantation (seroconverted to hepatitis C virus RNA positivity).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville 32610.
authors.forename: J Y
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Lau
authors.forename: G L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Brunson
authors.forename: K P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Qian
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Quan
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: DiNello
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Polito
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Scornik
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000601:surgery; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015995:Prevalence; D011379:Prognosis; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies
chemical_list: D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D012367:RNA, Viral