Course of patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection undergoing heart transplantation.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study was to describe the clinical course of patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection undergoing heart transplantation (HT).


METHODS
Among 499 patients transplanted in our hospital between January 1989 and September 2006, 11 subjects (2.2%) had chronic HCV infection. We analyzed liver function laboratory parameters pretransplantation as well as at 3, 6, 12 months, and last available, pre- and postsurgical hepatobiliary ultrasounds, and mortality. The mean time since HT was 32 +/- 23 months.


RESULTS
No abnormalities in the liver parenchyma were observed on the ultrasound examinations performed before or after transplantation. There were 3 deaths (27%), none of which was related to HCV infection. Liver function laboratory parameters remained stable during the follow-up.


CONCLUSIONS
The clinical course of patients with chronic HCV infection undergoing HT whose presurgical assessment did not show significant liver damage was favorable. No morphological or laboratory abnormalities were observed that would suggest reactivation of the infection during the follow-up.
Cano
O
O
Heart Failure and Transplant Unit, Department of Cardiology, La Fe University Hospital, Valencia, Spain.
Almenar
L
L
Martínez-Dolz
L
L
Moro
J
J
Izquierdo
M T
MT
Agüero
J
J
Sánchez
R
R
Ortiz
V
V
Sánchez
I
I
Salvador
A
A
D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D001663:Bilirubin / Q000097:blood; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000401:mortality / Q000502:physiology*; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology*; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D017741:Survivors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D001663:Bilirubin