title: Hepatitis C virus seropositivity at the time of renal transplantation in the United States: associated factors and patient survival.
abstract: National statistics for patient characteristics and survival of renal transplant recipients positive for hepatitis C virus (HCV+) at the time of renal transplant are presented. A historical cohort analysis of 33479 renal transplant recipients in the United States Renal Data System from 1 July, 1994 to 30 June, 1997 has been carried out. The medical evidence form was also used for additional variables, but because of fewer available values, this was analyzed in a separate model. Outcomes were patient characteristics and survival associated with HCV+. Of 28692 recipients with valid HCV serologies, 1624 were HCV+ at transplant (5.7% prevalence). In logistic regression analysis, HCV+ was associated with African-American race, male gender, cadaveric donor type, increased duration of pre-transplant dialysis, previous transplant, donor HCV+, recipient (but not donor) age, serum albumin, alcohol use, and increased all-cause hospitalizations. Diabetes and IgA nephropathy were less associated with HCV+. Total all-cause, unadjusted mortality was 13.1% in HCV+ vs. 8.5% in HCV- patients (p <0.01 by log rank test). In Cox regression, mortality was higher for HCV+ (adjusted hazard ratio = 1.23, 95% confidence interval = 1.01-1.49, p = 0.04). HCV+ recipients were more likely to be African-American, male, older, and to have received repeat transplants and donor HCV+ transplants. HCV+ recipients also had substantially longer waiting times for transplant. In contrast to recent studies, diabetes did not have an increased association with HCV+, perhaps due to limitations of the database. HCV+ recipients had increased mortality and hospitalization rates compared with other transplant recipients.
authors.affiliation: Organ Transplantation Service, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Batty
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Swanson
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Kirk
authors.forename: C W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.forename: L Y
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Agodoa
authors.forename: K C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Abbott
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000368:Aged; D002102:Cadaver; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015233:Models, Statistical; D015995:Prevalence; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology