title: The outcome of heart transplantation in hepatitis C-positive recipients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Clinical outcomes of heart transplantation (HTx) among recipients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection are poorly understood especially in Asia. Therefore, this study evaluated these clinical outcomes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using retrospective chart review we collected data on 385 patients including 20 HCV-positive recipients at the time of transplantation. We obtained information on demographics features, serial transaminases, graft function, patient survival as well as the incidences of acute hepatitis and transplant coronary artery disease.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Between 1987 and 2010, the 20 HCV-positive patients had a median age at transplantation of 52 years (range, 30-63). Seventeen were men and three women. All the patients were classified as Child-Pugh class A; two had cirrhosis prior to HTx. Over a mean follow-up of 63 months (range, 2 days to 187 months), there were 11 deaths, including two hospital mortalities and nine subsequent deaths. Only one mortality (5%) was related to Child-Pugh class C cirrhosis, despite liver transplantation. Among the other 19 deceased or surviving recipients, there was no evidence of hepatic dysfunction or hepatocellular carcinoma. Transplant coronary artery disease was detected in six patients (30%). There was no significant difference in Kaplan-Meier actuarial survival between the HCV-positive and HCV-negative recipients (P = .59).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There was no significant difference in patient survival or graft function between HCV-positive and HCV-negative HTx recipients. Additionally, HCV-positive recipients were not at an increased risk of hepatic failure or accelerated transplant coronary artery disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Division of Cardiovascular Surgery, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: M-H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: N-K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Chou
authors.forename: N-H
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Chi
authors.forename: Y-S
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: H-Y
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: S-C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: W-J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.forename: H-W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Chou
authors.forename: S-S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006085:Graft Survival; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000401:mortality; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications* / Q000401:mortality; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000821:virology; D017093:Liver Failure / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D013624:Taiwan; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome