Successful Treatment of a Hepatitis C–Positive Patient Who Received Kidney Transplant From a Hepatitis C–Positive Donor

Abstract

Kidney transplantation from hepatitis C virus (HCV)-positive donors to HCV-positive recipients has always been controversial regarding the safety and the outcomes. In the posttransplant period, treatment of hepatitis C with interferon-based regimens could lead to serious side effects. A patient with chronic hepatitis C and nephropathy, on dialysis, underwent renal transplantation from an HCV-positive donor and received direct-acting antiviral (DAA) drugs thereafter. His renal and liver functions, as well as the hepatitis C viral load, were evaluated at predetermined intervals throughout and after his treatment. Patient’s viral load was undetectable 4, 12, and 24 weeks after initiation of his treatment. Renal and liver functions were maintained at baseline, with no evidence of transplant rejection. Our clinical case is one of the few examples in the medical literature that shows successful suppression of replication of HCV in an HCV-infected kidney transplant candidate who received within 2 months of listing a deceased donor kidney transplant from an HCV-infected donor. The recipient was treated with DAAs, and this case illustrates potential safety and efficacy of this approach.