title: [HCV+ patients on the waiting list for kidney transplantation. Retrospective analysis of data on the patient population with hepatitis C on the waiting list for kidney transplantation in the setting of the AIRT].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  HCV infection in hemodialysis is still a matter of debate from an epidemiological and clinical point of view. Evaluation criteria for HCV-infected patients as transplant candidates are still not adequately standardized. Aims of the present study were to investigate: 1. the percentage of HCV positive patients on the waiting list of three Italian regions belonging to the Associazione InterRegionale Trapianti (AIRT); 2. to analyze the clinical approach in the evaluation of these patients in the attempt to define national guidelines for their pre- and post-transplant management.
  
  
  METHODS
  We evaluated 2045 uremic patients on the waiting lists of four transplant centers (Bari, Bologna, Modena, Novara) belonging to AIRT at 31/12/2002.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall prevalence of HCV positive patients was 14.2%, with a peak in the Puglia waiting list. The most common screening tests were AST and ALT serum levels and viral load (HCV RNA). Although there is a clear evidence that histological parameters are the main diagnostic and prognostic markers, a liver biopsy was performed in only 9.5% of patients. An even smaller percentage of HCV-infected patients underwent anti-viral therapy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our retrospective analysis evidenced the need to improve common clinical strategies in approaching HCV-infected canditates to renal transplantation in the attempt to improve their post-transplant outcome.
authors.affiliation: Divisione di Nefrologia, Dipartimento di Emergenza e Trapianti d'Organo, Universita' degli Studi di Bari - Policlinico, Bari, Italy. fp.shena@nephro.uniba.it
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schena
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Stallone
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Infante
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Grandaliano
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Di Paolo
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mosconi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Stefoni
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Savazzi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Albertazzi
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Barbe'
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Turello
authors.forename: F P
authors.initials: FP
authors.lastname: Schena
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000465:Algorithms; D005260:Female; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014850:Waiting Lists