Analysis of hepatitis C virus-positive organs in liver transplantation

Abstract

The authors of this study note that in liver transplantation (LT), the survival rates of hepatitis C virus (HCV)-positive donors and HCV-negative receivers are comparable to those of HCV-negative donors and recipients. Direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapies have nearly 100% effectiveness in treating HCV. Between 2006 and 2016, the percentages of HCV-positive patients on the waiting list and HCV-positive LT recipients fell by 8.2 percent and 7.6 percent, respectively. Records from April 1, 2014, in which the donor and receiver were both at least 18 years old and had a positive HCV status, were the only ones eligible for the study. The analysis for this study was restricted to the first transplant recorded for each patient using a data element that documented the number of prior transplants for each recipient, although some recipients appeared multiple times in the data set. HCV-positive recipients or people with fulminant hepatic failure were the main beneficiaries of primary biliary cirrhosis among HCV-positive donors. However, there is still a reticence to use HCV-positive donor organs in HCV recipients due to clinical and ethical considerations. Similar survival rates between HCV-positive donors and recipients and HCV-negative donors and receivers illustrate the efficacy of these DAA regimens.

Keywords: Direct-acting antiviral; Graft survival; Hepatitis C virus; Liver transplant; United network for organ sharing.