Hepatits C incidence and prevalence in kidney transplant patients

Authors

  • Maria L. Zanotelli
  • Themis R. da Silveira
  • Maria C.M. Correa
  • Marisa Chersky
  • Guido P.C. Cantisani

Keywords:

Kidney transplant, hepatitis C, serological tests

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To detect the prevalence and the seroconversion of the anti-HCV in renal transplants, while evaluating the presence of this antibody at the time of the
transplant, and during a 1-year follow-up, as well as the possibility of transmitting the disease to the recipient of the contaminated organ.
PATIENTS AND METHODS: We investigated the prevalence of anti-HCV infection in 48 kidney transplant recipients, and also in their respective donors. Serum
specimens were collected from the organ recipients right before kidney transplant, and 6 and 12 months after transplant; serum specimens were collected from donors at the time of nephroctomy. The 192 samples were stored at -20º C. The anti-HCV tests used were commercial kits based on synthetic HCV peptides (UBI), enzygnost anti-HCV (Boehringer), and Abbot HCV EIA 2nd generation. In patients with a positive anti-hepatitis C UBI test, the presence of HCV-RNA was verified by polymerase chain reaction .
RESULTS: Eleven of 40 patients had positive UBI results, and 12 of 48 had positive EIA anti-HCV results before the transplant. Sixteen patients were anti-HCV positive during the 1-year follow-up. Two patients became positive after 6 months, and one after 12 months. One of these patients was also HCV-RNA positive. No transplant recipient patient with positive anti-HCV before transplant seroconverted after 1 year. Fifty percent of the patients who received a kidney were HCV-RNA positive. Three of 40 donors indicated a positive anti-HCV antibody in the UBI test, and 4 of 48 donors indicated a positive anti-HCV antibody in the Boehringer and EIA tests. Two donors were HCV-RNA positive.
CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of anti-HCV before transplant was high, and the serconversion to positive was low during the follow-up; none of the anti-HCV positive patients seroconverted; the HCV-RNA positive patients did not change to negative after transplant, which indicates the persistence of viral replication even after immunosupression; anti-HCV positive donors, even in the presence of HCV-RNA, did not transmit the infection during 1 year after transplant.

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Published

2022-06-02

How to Cite

1.
Zanotelli ML, R. da Silveira T, M. Correa MC, Chersky M, P.C. Cantisani G. Hepatits C incidence and prevalence in kidney transplant patients. Clin Biomed Res [Internet]. 2022 Jun. 2 [cited 2025 May 10];18(3). Available from: https://seer.ufrgs.br/index.php/hcpa/article/view/124810

Issue

Vol. 18 No. 3 (1998): Periodical HCPA

Section

Original Articles

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