Impact of hepatitis C virus infection in renal transplant recipients.
OBJECTIVE
The impact of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection on the success of renal transplant is controversial. We assessed the effect of HCV infection on graft and patient survival in renal allograft recipients.


METHODS
We retrospectively analyzed medical records of renal allograft recipients who were transplanted between June 1990 and March 2004. Patients were divided into those positive and negative for anti-HCV antibody. Graft and patient survival were compared between the groups.


RESULTS
Of 126 patients studied (median age 34.5 years, range, 16-60; 111 men), 35 were positive for anti-HCV antibody. In seven patients, the antibodies were detected for the first time after renal transplant. Mean patient and graft survival duration in the anti-HCV negative group was longer (55 [SD 2] months [95% CI, 51-58]) than in the anti-HCV positive group (50 [SD 4] months [95% CI, 43-58]) (p< 0.05). Twenty-two patients died - 8 (22.8%) in the anti-HCV positive group and 14 (15.3%) in the negative group. In the anti-HCV positive group, infections were the cause of death in 5 patients and 3 patients died of liver cell failure. In the anti-HCV negative group, corresponding figures were 13 and one.


CONCLUSIONS
HCV infection is a bad prognostic indicator for patient and graft survival duration in renal transplant recipients. Infections are the commonest cause of death in renal transplant recipients.
Narula
A S
AS
Department of Medicine, Armed Forces Medical College, Pune 411 040, India. narulaas@gmail.com
Hooda
A
A
Anand
A C
AC
Patrikar
S
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006085:Graft Survival; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000453:epidemiology; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors