Hepatitis C Virus Infection and Outcome of Renal Transplantation

Chronic hepatitis B and C viruses (HBV and HCV) are common problems in renal transplant patients. There is no uniform agreement regarding their influence on graft outcomes and patient survival. We evaluated the influence of anti-HCV and hepatitis B surface antigen-positive status; gender; age > 49 years at the time of transplantation; alanine aminotransferase elevation; acute rejection; type of graft; number of transplants; and maintenance/induction immunosuppressive treatment on both graft and patient survivals among a population transplanted in our center between 1991 and 2004.Univariate analysis showed that anti-HCV–positive status, three-drug immunosuppressive therapy, and one or more episodes of acute rejection were associated with diminished graft survival. Over the age of 49 years at the time of transplantation, anti-HCV–positive status, cadaveric donor, kidney–pancreas transplantation, and three-drug immunosuppressive therapy were associated with diminished patient survival. Upon multivariate analysis, reduced patient survival was associated with the same variables as in the univariate analysis: anti-HCV–positive status, three-drug immunosuppressive therapy, and one or more episodes of acute rejection were associated with diminished graft survival. In our experience, anti-HCV–positive compared with anti-HCV–negative status was associated with a reduced graft (56% vs. 75%; P = .0002) and patient survival (68% vs. 83%; P = .0028).