Hepatitis B and C serologic profiles of Canadian organ donors and recipients: retrospective 10-year review at a single center

Abstract

Background: Hepatitis C virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) are important causes of hepatitis and can be transmitted from organ donor to recipient. This study aimed to determine HBV and HCV serologic profiles of a population of Canadian solid organ transplant (SOT) donors and recipients, including prevalence of recipient HBV immunity.

Methods: Data on age, gender, organ transplanted, and pre-transplant HBV and HCV serology for SOT donors and recipients at a Canadian hospital from 2001 to 2011 were obtained from a transplant database.

Results: There were 2455 recipients (2205 adults, 250 children), and 1559 donors. Over 50% of adult and 44% of pediatric recipients were HBV non-immune pre-transplant. Pediatric recipients were more likely to have HBV vaccine immunity than were adult recipients (48.8% vs. 28.9%, P < 0.001). Prevalence of HBV vaccine immunity was highest in renal recipients (48.3% in adult, 63.2% in pediatric recipients). Recipient HBV vaccine immunity increased from 5.8% in 2001 to 44.5% in 2011 (P < 0.001). Of 134 adult recipients with prior HBV infection, 59 (44%) were co-infected with HCV. Only 0.6% of adult non-liver recipients had acute or chronic HBV infection and 3.2% were anti-HCV positive. Only 2 donors had acute or chronic HBV infection, 29 had prior HBV infection, 9 were isolated hepatitis B core antibody positive, and 15 were anti-HCV positive.

Conclusions: The prevalence of HBV vaccine immunity in SOT candidates is low, but increased from 2001 to 2011. Opportunities for quality improvement in pre-transplant HBV immunization exist. HCV co-infection is common in recipients with prior HBV infection. Prevalence of HCV infection in non-liver transplant recipients is low.

Keywords: hepatitis B; hepatitis C; immunity; pre-transplant screening; solid organ transplant.