1
|
Nunez M, Kelkar AA. Hepatitis C and heart transplantation: An update. Clin Transplant 2023; 37:e15111. [PMID: 37650430 DOI: 10.1111/ctr.15111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Revised: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
There are limited data regarding heart transplantation in the setting of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in either recipients or donors, as the practice was infrequent, given concerns of worse post-transplant outcomes. This changed dramatically after the development of highly effective HCV therapies, namely direct-acting antivirals (DAAs). Additionally, nucleic acid testing currently in use establishes more precisely the risk of HCV transmission from donors. As a result, chronic HCV infection in itself is no longer a barrier for heart transplant candidates, and the use of HCV-positive organs for HCV-infected and non-infected transplant candidates has increased dramatically. A review of the literature revealed that in the pre-DAA era, HCV seropositive heart transplant patients had a higher mortality than their seronegative counterparts. However, short-term data suggest that the differences in survival have been erased in the DAA era. Heart transplantation from HCV-viremic donors to HCV-uninfected recipients has become increasingly common as the number of deceased donors with HCV viremia has increased over the past years. Preliminary outcome reports are very encouraging, although further data are needed with regard to long-term safety. New information continues to be incorporated to optimize protocols that guide this practice.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marina Nunez
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section on Infectious Diseases, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston Salem, North Carolina, USA
| | - Anita A Kelkar
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Kernersville VA Health Care System, Kernesville, North Carolina, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Sutcliffe S, Ji M, Chang SH, Stewart D, Axelrod DA, Lentine KL, Wellen J, Alrata L, Gupta G, Alhamad T. The association of donor hepatitis C virus infection with 3-year kidney transplant outcomes in the era of direct-acting antiviral medications. Am J Transplant 2023; 23:629-635. [PMID: 37130619 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajt.2022.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2022] [Revised: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
To determine the effect of donor hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection on kidney transplant (KT) outcomes in the era of direct-acting antiviral (DAA) medications, we examined 68,087 HCV-negative KT recipients from a deceased donor between March 2015 and May 2021. A Cox regression analysis was used to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) of KT failure, incorporating inverse probability of treatment weighting to control for patient selection to receive an HCV-positive kidney (either nucleic acid amplification test positive [NAT+, n = 2331] or antibody positive (Ab+)/NAT- [n = 1826]) based on recipient characteristics. Compared with kidney from HCV-negative donors, those from Ab+/NAT- (aHR = 0.91; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.75-1.10) and HCV NAT+ (aHR = 0.89; 95% CI, 0.73-1.08) donors were not associated with an increased risk of KT failure over 3 years after transplant. Moreover, HCV NAT+ kidneys were associated with a higher 1-year estimated glomerular filtration (63.0 vs 61.0 mL/min/1.73 m2, P = .007) and lower risk of delayed graft function (aOR = 0.76; 95% CI, 0.68-0.84) compared with HCV-negative kidneys. Our findings suggest that donor HCV positivity is not associated with an elevated risk of graft failure. The inclusion of donor HCV status in the Kidney Donor Risk Index may no longer be appropriate in contemporary practice.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Siobhan Sutcliffe
- Division of Public Health Sciences, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Mengmeng Ji
- Division of Public Health Sciences, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, Missouri, USA; Division of Nephrology, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Su-Hsin Chang
- Division of Public Health Sciences, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Darren Stewart
- Department of Surgery, New York University Langone Health, New York, New York, USA
| | - David A Axelrod
- Department of Surgery, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Krista L Lentine
- Division of Nephrology, Saint Louis University, St Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Jason Wellen
- Division of Transplant Surgery, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Louai Alrata
- Division of Nephrology, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Gaurav Gupta
- Division of Nephrology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA
| | - Tarek Alhamad
- Division of Nephrology, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, Missouri, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Woolley AE, Gandhi AR, Jones ML, Kim JJ, Mallidi HR, Givertz MM, Baden LR, Mehra MR, Neilan AAM. The Cost-effectiveness of Transplanting Hearts From Hepatitis C-infected Donors Into Uninfected Recipients. Transplantation 2023; 107:961-969. [PMID: 36525554 PMCID: PMC10065819 DOI: 10.1097/tp.0000000000004378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Revised: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The DONATE HCV trial demonstrated the safety and efficacy of transplanting hearts from hepatitis C viremic (HCV+) donors. In this report, we examine the cost-effectiveness and impact of universal HCV+ heart donor eligibility in the United States on transplant waitlist time and life expectancy. METHODS We developed a microsimulation model to compare 2 waitlist strategies for heart transplant candidates in 2018: (1) status quo (SQ) and (2) SQ plus HCV+ donors (SQ + HCV). From the DONATE HCV trial and published national datasets, we modeled mean age (53 years), male sex (75%), probabilities of waitlist mortality (0.01-0.10/month) and transplant (0.03-0.21/month) stratified by medical urgency, and posttransplant mortality (0.003-0.052/month). We assumed a 23% increase in transplant volume with SQ + HCV compared with SQ. Costs (2018 United States dollar) included waitlist care ($2200-190 000/month), transplant ($213 400), 4-wk HCV treatment ($26 000), and posttransplant care ($2500-11 300/month). We projected waitlist time, quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs), lifetime costs, and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs [$/QALY, discounted 3%/year]; threshold ≤$100 000/QALY). RESULTS Compared with SQ, SQ + HCV decreased waitlist time from 8.7 to 6.7 months, increased undiscounted life expectancy from 8.9 to 9.2 QALYs, and increased discounted lifetime costs from $671 400/person to $690 000/person. Four-week HCV treatment comprised 0.5% of lifetime costs. The ICER of SQ + HCV compared with SQ was $74 100/QALY and remained ≤$100 000/QALY with up to 30% increases in transplant and posttransplant costs. CONCLUSIONS Transplanting hearts from HCV-infected donors could decrease waitlist times, increase life expectancy, and be cost-effective. These findings were robust within the context of current high HCV treatment costs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ann E Woolley
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Aditya R Gandhi
- Medical Practice Evaluation Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
| | - Michelle L Jones
- Medical Practice Evaluation Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
| | - Jane J Kim
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA
| | - Hari R Mallidi
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
- Division of Thoracic and Cardiac Surgery, Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA
| | - Michael M Givertz
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA
| | - Lindsey R Baden
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Mandeep R Mehra
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA
| | - And Anne M Neilan
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
- Medical Practice Evaluation Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
- Division of General Academic Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Willingness of Kidney and Liver Transplant Candidates to Receive HCV-Infected Organs. J Surg Res 2022; 278:342-349. [PMID: 35667277 DOI: 10.1016/j.jss.2022.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2021] [Revised: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Transplantation of organs exposed to hepatitis C virus (HCV) into uninfected patients has yielded excellent outcomes and more widespread adoption may lead to fewer discarded organs and more transplants. Patient perceptions may shed light on acceptability and likely the uptake of HCV+/HCV- transplantation, gaps in understanding, and perceived benefits/risks. METHODS We surveyed 435 uninfected kidney and liver transplant candidates at four centers about their attitude towards HCV-infected organs. RESULTS The percentage of patients willing to accept HCV-infected organs increased from 58% at baseline, to 86% following education about HCV, direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs), and HCV+/HCV- transplantation benefits/risks. More willingness to accept an organ from an intravenous drug user (P < 0.001), age >50 y old (P = 0.02), longer waiting time (P = 0.02), more trust in the transplant system (P = 0.03), and previous awareness of DAAs (P = 0.04) were associated with higher willingness to accept an HCV-infected organ. The most important reasons for accepting an HCV-infected organ were a decrease in waiting time (65%), lower mortality and morbidity risk while on the waiting list (63%), effectiveness of DAAs (54%), and a quicker return to higher functional status (51%). CONCLUSIONS Presenting patients with information about HCV+/HCV- transplantation in small doses that are calibrated to account for varying levels of health and numerical literacy is recommended.
Collapse
|
5
|
Goel A, Kwong A. CAQ Corner: Disease recurrence after liver transplantation. Liver Transpl 2022:1. [PMID: 37160054 DOI: 10.1002/lt.26492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2022] [Revised: 04/09/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Aparna Goel
- Division of Gastroenterology/Hepatology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, USA
| | - Allison Kwong
- Division of Gastroenterology/Hepatology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, USA
| |
Collapse
|