title: Kidney transplantation from hepatitis C virus-positive donors into hepatitis C virus-positive recipients: a safe way to expand the donor pool?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Because the disparity between the number of patients waiting for kidney transplants and the number of available cadaveric renal allografts continues to increase, there is a clear need to review the inclusion criteria for cadaveric donors.
  
  
  METHODS
  From January 2001 to March 2004, 24 patients with end-stage renal disease and hepatitis C virus (HCV) seropositivity underwent a kidney transplantation. In 10 transplants in HCV-positive recipients, the donor was HCV-positive (D+/R+) and in 14 cases the donor (1 living donor) was HCV-negative (D-/R+).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two of 3 HCV-RNA-negative recipients who received a HCV-RNA+ kidney became HCV-RNA+ in the posttransplantation period. There was a low rate of acute rejection (8.3%). One D+/R+ patient experienced an acute vascular rejection, which finally resulted in graft loss, due to the resurgence of severe infectious disease. The serum creatinine levels at 6 months posttransplantation were similar in both groups. Acute liver dysfunction was observed in 1 patient. There was no death in the entire series. Graft survival was 92% and 90% for D+/R+ and D-/R+, respectively.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Transplantation and Advanced Technologies, Organ Transplant Unit, University Hospital, Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Veroux
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Veroux
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Puliatti
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cappello
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Macarone
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gagliano
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fiamingo
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Flamingo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Di Mare
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Spataro
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ginevra
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000453:epidemiology; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications* / Q000635:transmission*; D006801:Humans; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000502:physiology*; D017093:Liver Failure / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012449:Safety; D014019:Tissue Donors / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D019562:Viral Load; D014850:Waiting Lists
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral