HARMFUL LONG-TERM IMPACT OF HEPATITIS C VIRUS INFECTION IN KIDNEY TRANSPLANT RECIPIENTS

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Abstract
The long-term impact of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in renal transplant recipients remains controversial. We report here our experience, in a homogeneous single center, of 499 patients with a fairly long follow-up. We retrospectively studied 499 hepatitis B virus-negative patients who received an initial cadaver donor kidney transplantation at Necker Hospital between January 1, 1979 and December 31, 1994, with a graft or patient survival of at least 6 months. Anti-HCV antibodies were detected at time of transplantation in 112 patients (22%). Patient survival and causes of death were compared among anti-HCV-positive and -negative patients. Our results clearly indicate that first cadaver kidney transplant recipients with anti-HCV antibodies had a significantly shorter patient and graft long-term survival than recipients without anti-HCV antibodies(PPPP.Conclusions.These results suggest that HCV infection has a harmful long-term impact on the survival of kidney transplant recipients. These results suggest that HCV infection has a harmful long-term impact on the survival of kidney transplant recipients.