title: Kidney transplantation in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection: is the prognosis worse?
abstract: The impact of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection on the long-term outcome of kidney transplant patients is controversial. A total of 34 chronic hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) carriers among 143 renal allograft recipients were identified in this study (mean follow-up period: 5.6+/-3.3 years; range: 1-13 years). During the follow-up, one HBsAg-positive recipient with preexisting cirrhosis died of liver failure, and seven (21%) others developed serious HBV-related complications (four fulminant hepatitis, two hepatocellular carcinoma, one cirrhosis), and four died. Although HBsAg-positive recipients had a higher rate of liver-related complications and deaths than HBsAg-negative recipients did, there were no significant differences in the long-term graft and patient survival between the two groups. The survival rates, liver-related complications, and deaths in HBsAg-positive allograft recipients and 28 HBsAg-positive uremic patients under dialysis were similar. In conclusion, HBV infection is not a contraindication to kidney transplantation. However, pretransplant candidates should be warned of potentially serious liver-related complications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan.
authors.forename: T I
authors.initials: TI
authors.lastname: Huo
authors.forename: W C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: King
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Loong
authors.forename: C Y
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: F Y
authors.initials: FY
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: S D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000401:mortality*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011379:Prognosis; D015996:Survival Rate; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens