Hepatitis C virus infection is highly prevalent among kidney transplant recipients, occurring consequently to their previous treatment with hemodialysis. Hepatitis C virus infection has been associated with lower graft and patient survival compared with that shown in patients without infection. The lower survival has been associated with the posttransplant progression of liver disease and increased risk for development of extrahepatic complications. The choice of immunosuppressive drugs could significantly affect the course of the infection with an accelerated viral replication after kidney transplant. Eradicating hepatitis C virus infection with antiviral treatment is imperative to increasing graft and patient survival after transplant. Antiviral treatment options include standard interferon-based therapy and new directacting antiviral agents. Interferon-based treatment is rarely used in kidney transplant recipients because it has been associated with high risk of interferoninduced acute graft rejection. Several novel studies have shown that the new direct-acting antiviral agents are highly efficacious for treatment of hepatitis C infection in kidney transplant patients.
Key words: Antiviral agents, Immunosuppression, Renal transplantation
IntroductionHepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is relatively common among patients on hemodialysis and in kidney transplant recipients. 1 In developed countries, approximately 1.8% to 8% of the kidney transplant recipients are infected with HCV. 2,3 Hepatitis C virus infection has negative effects on both patient and graft survival. 2,4,5 A meta-analysis demonstrated that the presence of HCV antibodies was an independent and significant risk factor for death (risk ratio = 1.79; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.57-2.03; P = .042) and graft failure (risk ratio = 1.56; 95% CI, 1.35-1.80; P = .019) after kidney transplant. 6 The lower survival was related to the posttransplant progression of liver disease induced by the use of immunosuppressive regimens 7,8 and increased risk for development of extrahepatic complications of HCV infection, including posttransplant de novo or recurrent glomerular disease and new-onset diabetes mellitus. 9,10 However, despite these risks, renal transplant is still recommended in HCV-positive patients, as survival is significantly better in those who undergo transplant versus infected patients who remain on hemodialysis. 11,12 Immunosuppressive drugs and hepatitis C virus infection The natural course of HCV infection in kidney transplant patients is more complex than in nontransplant patients. The use of immunosuppressive drugs could promote viral replication in hepatocytes and enhance the progression of liver disease or lead to reactivation of the HCV infection, which presents as acute hepatitis. [13][14][15] Controversy remains regarding what is the optimal immunosuppressive regimen for kidney transplant recipients with HCV infection. The use of induction therapy is not contraindicated in HCV-positive kidney transplant recipients. 16 Corticos...