title: Progression of hepatic histopathology in kidney transplant recipients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection and effect of immunosuppression on the course of hepatitis C virus infection.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  There is no correlation between alanine aminotransferase levels, viral load, and histologic findings at dialysis in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection. Identification of the severity of hepatitis C-related liver disease before transplant could provide valuable data about the risk for liverrelated mortality after transplant. In this study, we aimed to identify the severity of liver disease in endstage renal disease patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection, the progression of hepatic histopathology after kidney transplant, and whether immunosuppressive therapy affected posttransplant viral replication and hepatic histology.
  
  
  METHODS
  Antihepatitis C viruspositive kidney transplant recipients (45 patients) enrolled in the study. Liver biopsy was performed in 45 patients before and 16 patients after kidney transplant. Interferon was given to 28 of 45 patients before kidney transplant. Biopsy before and after kidney transplant was performed in 5 of 14 patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients had higher viral load, with genotype 1 predominancy (91%). Sustained viral response was achieved in 14 of 28 patients (50%). The histopathologic features of 45 patients who had pretransplant liver biopsy were as follows: 22 patients had mild hepatocellular injury, 17 patients had mild chronic hepatitis, 5 patients had moderate chronic hepatitis, and 1 patient had serious hepatitis. Follow-up biopsy after kidney transplant (mean, 2 y) in 16 of 45 patients showed that 3 of 16 patients had mild hepatocellular injury, 4 of 16 patients had mild hepatitis, 6 of 16 patients had moderate hepatitis, 2 of 16 patients had serious hepatitis, and 1 patient had cirrhosis. Patients showed neither progression, regression, nor stable liver histology.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Even with worse genotype profiles, chronic hepatitis C virus infection has an indolent progression in patients with end-stage renal disease and kidney transplant. Follow-up biopsies of kidney transplant recipients show reasonable progression during the first 2 years.
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Başkent University, Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Korkmaz
authors.forename: Sevgül
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fakı
authors.forename: Serkan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Öcal
authors.forename: Özgür
authors.initials: Ö
authors.lastname: Harmancı
authors.forename: Haldun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Selçuk
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Haberal
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001706:Biopsy; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D013997:Time Factors; D066027:Transplant Recipients; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D015415:Biomarkers; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D012367:RNA, Viral