High risk of hepatic complications in kidney transplantation with chronic hepatitis C virus infection

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 15; no. 1; pp. 29275 - 8
• Main Authors: Huang, Shih-Ting, Chuang, Ya-Wen, Chiu, Chih-Wei, Sun, Kuo-Ting, Chang, Shih-Sheng, Wang, I-Kuan, Lee, Brain K., Kung, Shiang-Cheng, Li, Chi-Yuan, Yu, Tung-Min
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 10.08.2025; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 692/308; 692/4022; Adult; Age; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular - epidemiology; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular - etiology; Chronic infection; Cirrhosis; Comorbidity; Creatinine; Demographics; Diabetes; Dialysis; Electronic health records; End-stage renal disease; Female; Heart failure; Hemodialysis; Hepacivirus; Hepatic disease; Hepatitis C; Hepatitis C virus; Hepatitis C, Chronic - complications; Hepatocellular carcinoma; Hepatoma; Hispanic Americans; Humanities and Social Sciences; Humans; Infections; Kidney diseases; Kidney transplantation; Kidney Transplantation - adverse effects; Kidney transplants; Liver cancer; Liver cirrhosis; Liver Cirrhosis - epidemiology; Liver Cirrhosis - etiology; Liver diseases; Liver failure; Liver Neoplasms - epidemiology; Liver Neoplasms - etiology; Liver transplantation; Male; Middle Aged; multidisciplinary; Obesity; Overweight; Patients; Population; Postoperative Complications - etiology; Renal failure; Risk Factors; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Statistical significance; End-stage renal disease; Hepatic disease; Dialysis; Hepatitis C virus; Kidney transplantation
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-15169-4

Data on liver issues including liver cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, and hepatic failure in renal transplant patients with HCV infection are scarce. In the present study, we conducted a large-scale population-based analysis to investigate the long-term outcomes of renal recipients with HCV infection. Propensity score matching with a ratio of 1:1 was applied. A total of 6,473renal recipients with HCV infection in case group were enrolled after PSM. Our findings showed that subjects with HCV infection in kidney transplant had significantly higher risk of hepatoma, cirrhosis, hepatic failure, and overall hepatic disease than those without HCV infection. (hepatoma: HR: 8.957; 95% CI: 5.324–15.069; cirrhosis: HR: 5.378; 95% CI: 4.363–6.631; hepatic failure: HR: 3.258; 95% CI: 2.527-4.200; overall hepatic disease: HR: 4.128; 95% CI: 3.428–4.971). In the present study, our findings show that renal recipients with HCV infection is significantly associated with a remarkably high risk of hepatic complications post-kidney transplantation.