Hepatitis C Virus Reactivation in Anti-Hepatitic C Virus-Positive Renal Transplant Recipients

• Published in: Transplantation proceedings Vol. 37; no. 5; pp. 2083 - 2085
• Main Authors: Melon, S., Galarraga, M.C., Villar, M., Laures, A., Boga, J.A., de Oña, M., Gomez, E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.06.2005
• Subjects: Hepacivirus - isolation & purification; Hepacivirus - physiology; Hepatitis C - diagnosis; Humans; Kidney Transplantation; RNA, Viral - genetics; RNA, Viral - isolation & purification; Viral Load; Virus Activation; Virus Replication
• ISSN: 0041-1345; 1873-2623
• DOI: 10.1016/j.transproceed.2005.03.045

From 1992 to 2001 hepatitis C virus (HCV) viremia was studied in 53 renal transplant recipients anti-HCV+ with at least 3 months follow-up posttransplant using a quantitative retrotranscriptase-PCR method. HCV-RNA was detected in 45 (85%): 29 of the 34 recipients treated with azathioprine-based therapy and 15 of 18 treated with mycophenolate mofetil. Immunosuppressive therapy type did not affect HCV replication. Three different patterns of HCV-RNA evolution were detected: 13 (28.8%) patients with high RNA-HCV levels; 21 (46.7%) patients with low levels; and 11 (24.4%) patients with viremia elevation. In 10 (90%) of 11 of the last group, HCV viremia was detected before 15 days posttransplantation, significantly earlier than in the other two groups. Thus, replication during the first 15 days after transplantation leads to a high RNA-HCV viral load. No clinical symptoms were related to HCV.