Ledipasvir/sofosbuvir is effective and well tolerated in postkidney transplant patients with chronic hepatitis C virus

'Real-life' experience with direct-acting antiviral agents for HCV after kidney transplant

INTRODUCTIONS AND OBJECTIVES

The introduction of direct-acting antiviral (DAA) agents promises to change dramatically the management of hepatitis C in kidney transplant recipients, a patient group where the treatment of hepatitis C is historically challenging. The purpose of the current study was to assess (in a 'real-life' setting) the safety and efficacy of all-oral, interferon-free, direct-acting antiviral agents in kidney transplant recipients with HCV.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We performed a single-arm, multi-center study in a cohort (n = 95) of kidney transplant recipients who underwent antiviral therapy with DAAs. The primary end-point was sustained virologic response (SVR) (serum HCV RNA < 15 IU/mL, 12 weeks after treatment ended; SVR12). We recorded data on on-treatment adverse events (AEs), serious AEs, and laboratory abnormalities.

RESULTS

Various regimens were adopted at the discretion of the treating physician: elbasvir/grazoprevir (n = 11), paritaprevir/ritonavir/ombitasvir/dasabuvir (PrOD) regimens ± ribavirin (n = 23), and sofosbuvir-based regimens ± ribavirin (n = 61). The SVR12 rate was 93.7% (89/95) (95% CI, 88%; 98%), according to intention-to-treat analysis; three patients without viral response (n = 3) were found. Ribavirin was administered in 8 (8.4%) allograft recipients. The frequency of drop-outs was 4.2% (4/95) (95% CI, 0.2%; 8.2%); these were related to arthralgia/myalgia (n = 2), fatigue (n = 1), and lowered estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) (n = 1). There were no differences with regard to serum creatinine and eGFR before and after antiviral therapy and during follow-up in the whole cohort. The patient who interrupted antiviral treatment due to raised serum creatinine was on sofosbuvir/daclatasvir regimen; one of the four drop-outs obtained SVR.

CONCLUSIONS

All-oral, interferon-free therapy with DAAs for chronic HCV after kidney transplantation was effective and well-tolerated in a 'real-life' clinical setting. Identical results have been observed in patients with intact kidneys or advanced chronic kidney disease. Careful evaluation of kidney function over follow-up in kidney transplant recipients who received DAAs regimens is recommended. Clinical trials aimed to assess whether sustained viral response translates into improved patient/graft survival are under way.

Real-world direct-acting antiviral treatment in kidney transplant and hemodialysis patients: the EpiTer-2 multicenter observational study

BACKGROUND

Patients who undergo hemodialysis (HD) or kidney transplantation (KTx) previously had limited possibilities for treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Direct-acting antivirals (DAA) give these patients a chance of virus eradication and safe transplantation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of DAA in KTx and HD patients in real-world settings.

METHODS

Sustained virologic response (SVR) and treatment safety were analyzed in KTx and HD patients from the EpiTer-2 database, which included HCV-infected subjects treated with DAA between 2015 and 2019. Additionally, for KTx patients, changes in creatinine concentration, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), proteinuria within a year after treatment, and changes in the need for calcineurin inhibitors were assessed.

RESULTS

Among 10,152 patients from the EpiTer-2 database 148 were selected, 85 after KTx and 63 undergoing HD. The most common genotype, 1b HCV, was found in 73% and 86% of patients, respectively. Cirrhosis was noted in 10% and 19%, respectively. The most common DAA regimen after KTx was sofosbuvir/ledipasvir (54%), whereas in HD patients it was ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir +/- dasabuvir (56%). All patients with available follow-up results achieved SVR. No deaths, kidney loss or acute rejection episodes were noted. The most common adverse effects in both groups were anemia and weakness. One year after treatment, creatinine concentration, eGFR and proteinuria remained stable in the majority of patients.

CONCLUSION

DAA treatment of HCV infection demonstrated high effectiveness and safety in hemodialyzed patients and patients who had undergone KTx in this real-world study.

Eradication of hepatitis C virus infection in kidney transplant recipients using direct-acting antiviral therapy: Qatar experience

Introduction

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has detrimental effects on patient and graft survival after kidney transplantation. In the pre‐direct‐acting antiviral (DAA) era, treatment of HCV infection was associated with low response rates, poor tolerance, and increased risk of allograft rejection. However, DAAs have revolutionized HCV treatment. The aims of this study were to determine the impact of DAA on the sustained virologic response (SVR), renal function, and calcineurin inhibitor (CNI) levels and assess the tolerability to treatment in kidney transplant recipients with HCV infection in Qatar.

Methods

This retrospective study included the medical records of all kidney transplant recipients with confirmed HCV infection before January 1, 2020. All data were obtained from the patients’ electronic medical records; these included patient demographics; virologic responses to treatment; serum creatinine levels during treatment; urine protein to creatinine ratios and CNI levels before, during, and after treatment; and side effects related to DAA therapy.

Results

A total of 27 kidney transplant recipients with HCV were identified, 23 of whom received DAA therapy. The length of treatment ranged from 12 to 24 weeks, and 52% of patients had HCV genotype 1 infection. The median log10 HCV RNA was 6.6 copies per milliliter. None of the patients had liver cirrhosis, and all of them achieved SVR. There was no statistically significant difference in the glomerular filtration rate before, during, and after treatment. Most patients had stable CNI trough levels during treatment and did not require dose adjustment.

Conclusions

HCV infection was successfully eradicated by DAA therapy in kidney transplant recipients, with a 100% SVR rate. Moreover, DAA therapy was well‐tolerated, and kidney function remained stable without an increased risk of rejection. These results are expected to drive the eradication of hepatitis C from the entire country.

Outcomes After Direct-Acting Antiviral Therapy Based on Donor Hepatitis C Serostatus Among Hepatitis C Virus-Infected Kidney Transplant Recipients

OBJECTIVES

Renal grafts from hepatitis C virus-positive deceased donors, which were once discarded, can now be transplanted into recipients and treated posttransplant due to the emergence of direct-acting antivirals, significantly improving wait list time and organ shortages. Here, we compared outcomes in hepatitis C virus-positive patients who received kidneys from hepatitis C virus-positive versus -negative donors.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this single-center retrospective study, we divided 52 kidney transplant recipients who were viremic for hepatitis C virus pretransplant into 2 groups based on donors' hepatitis C virus serostatus (positive/negative). Demographics, time to transplant, efficacy of direct-acting antivirals, rejection episodes, immunosuppression adjustments, and renal function were assessed in both groups.

RESULTS

Our cohort included 50 patients receiving kidneys from deceased donors and 2 from living donors (1 related, 1 unrelated). Recipients of hepatitis C virus-positive kidneys had significantly less wait list time (36 days) than recipients of hepatitis C virus-negative kidneys (806 days; P < .001). All recipients responded well to direct-acting antivirals, with both groups showing similar sustained virologic response rates that were comparable to the general population. Intention-to-treat analyses showed rates of 91% and 100% in donor seropositive and donor seronegative groups, respectively (P = .273). Four antibody-mediated rejection episodes occurred in the donor seropositive and one mixed rejection in the donor seronegative group. Tacrolimus dose adjustments were required in 54% and 59% of recipients in the donor seropositive and seronegative groups, respectively. Recipients in the donor seropositive group had lower rates of worsening renal function than recipients in the donor seronegative group (11% vs 17.5%; P = .519).

CONCLUSIONS

In hepatitis C-positive recipients with donor negative or donor positive hepatitis C virus serostatus, response of direct-acting antiviral response was not significantly different and renal allograft function was maintained without any evidence of long-term adverse consequences to the graft.

Direct-acting Antivirals for the Treatment of Kidney Transplant Patients With Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Infection in Spain: A Long-term Prospective Observational Study

Background

Direct-acting antivirals (DAA) allow effective and safe eradication of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in most patients. There are limited data on the long-term effects of all-oral, interferon-free DAA combination therapies in kidney transplant (KT) patients infected with HCV. Here we evaluated the long-term tolerability, efficacy, and safety of DAA combination therapies in KT patients with chronic HCV infection.

Methods

Clinical data from KT patients treated with DAA were collected before, during, and after the treatment, including viral response, immunosuppression regimens, and kidney and liver function.

Results

Patients (N = 226) were mostly male (65.9%) aged 56.1 ± 10.9 years, with a median time from KT to initiation of DAA therapy of 12.7 years and HCV genotype 1b (64.6%). Most patients were treated with sofosbuvir-based therapies. Rapid virological response at 1 month was achieved by 89.4% of the patients and sustained virological response by week 12 by 98.1%. Liver function improved significantly after DAA treatment. Tacrolimus dosage increased 37% from the beginning of treatment (2.5 ± 1.7 mg/d) to 1 year after the start of DAA treatment (3.4 ± 1.9 mg/d, P < 0.001). Median follow-up was 37.0 months (interquartile range, 28.4-41.9) and death-censored graft survival was 91.1%. Adverse events resulting from DAA treatment, especially anemia, were reported for 31.0% of the patients.

Conclusions

Chronic HCV infection can be treated efficiently and safely with DAA therapy in KT patients. Most patients retained stable kidney function and improved liver function. Tacrolimus dose had to be increased in most patients, potentially as a result of better liver function.

Viral Hepatitis C Therapy: Pharmacokinetic and Pharmacodynamic Considerations: A 2019 Update

It has been estimated by the World Health Organization (WHO) that over 71 million people were infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) in 2015. Since then, a number of highly effective direct-acting antiviral (DAA) regimens have been licensed for the treatment of chronic HCV infection: sofosbuvir/daclatasvir, sofosbuvir/ledipasvir, elbasvir/grazoprevir, sofosbuvir/velpatasvir, glecaprevir/pibrentasvir, and sofosbuvir/velpatasvir/voxilaprevir. With these treatment regimens, almost all chronic HCV-infected patients, even including prior DAA failures, can be treated effectively and safely. It is therefore likely that further development of DAAs will be limited. In this descriptive review we provide an overview of the clinical pharmacokinetic characteristics of currently available DAAs by describing their absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion. Potential drug-drug interactions with the DAAs are briefly discussed. Furthermore, we summarize what is known about the pharmacodynamics of the DAAs in terms of efficacy and safety. We briefly discuss the relationship between the pharmacokinetics of the DAAs and efficacy or toxicity in special populations, such as hard to cure patients and patients with liver cirrhosis, liver transplantation, renal impairment, hepatitis B virus or HIV co-infection, bleeding disorders, and children. The aim of this overview is to educate/update prescribers and pharmacists so that they are able to safely and effectively treat HCV-infected patients even in the presence of underlying co-infections or co-morbidities.

Successful early sofosbuvir-based antiviral treatment after transplantation of kidneys from HCV-viremic donors into HCV-negative recipients

BACKGROUND

Transplanting kidneys from deceased donors with hepatitis C virus (HCV) viremia has been controversial for some time. Direct-acting antiviral agents have been shown to be highly effective in treating HCV infection. We report our experience with transplanting kidneys from HCV-positive donors with detectable viremia into HCV-negative recipients, followed by early treatment with a sofosbuvir-based antiviral regimen.

METHODS

Data were collected from seven HCV-negative recipients receiving kidneys from five deceased HCV-viremic donors. Before transplantation, all intentional transplanted recipients had given informed consent regarding the acceptance of an HCV-viremic kidney. Recipients were closely monitored after transplant with measurements of HCV viremia, liver and renal function, and trough levels of immunosuppressive drugs.

RESULTS

Four donors were infected with HCV genotype 1; the other with HCV genotype 3a. HCV viremia was detectable in all seven renal transplant recipients within 3 days after transplant. After determination of HCV genotype, antiviral treatment with a sofosbuvir-based regimen (sofosbuvir/ledipasvir, n = 4; sofosbuvir/velpatasvir, n = 3) was initiated within a median of 7 days after transplantation and was continued for 8 to 12 weeks. For all recipients, viral load was below the level of detection at the end of treatment, and all exhibited a sustained virologic response 12 weeks later. All recipients exhibited normal liver enzyme activity at the end of treatment. Renal allograft function and trough levels of tacrolimus remained stable.

CONCLUSIONS

Early administration of a sofosbuvir-based regimen to HCV-negative recipients of kidneys from HCV-viremic donors is feasible and safe. The definition of an optimal therapeutic approach warrants further investigation.

Long-term follow-up of HCV infected kidney transplant recipients receiving direct-acting antiviral agents: a single-center experience in China

Background

Long-term outcome of DAAs therapy in kidney transplant recipients was unknown. Thus, we aimed to evaluate it in a Chinese cohort of HCV-infected kidney transplant recipients.

Methods

Single-center and retrospective study of HCV-infected kidney transplant recipients initiating an DAAs regimen between January 2015 and December 2017 was conducted. Totally 26 KTX recipients were divided into three groups, including KTX-HD Group, DAA-KTX Group and KTX-DAA Group. On-treatment response was defined as target not detected within 12 weeks. SVR 48, 96 were defined as HCV-RNA negativity 48, 96 weeks after treatment cessation, respectively.

Results

HCV genotype was predominantly 1b (80.8%), followed by 2a. All (100%) patients achieved on-treatment response. Time to first TnD was 1.9 ± 0.6 weeks, with no significant difference among the three groups. All patients achieved SVR, with an SVR rate of 100.0% (26/26) among the patients who were followed up over 48 weeks after treatment cessation, and the same SVR rate (24/24) among the patients who were followed up over 96 weeks. Trough levels of Tac remained stable under DAAs therapy, without any dose adjustment. Two patients with abnormal GFR before treatment experienced serum creatinine elevation. Other adverse events included nausea, diarrhea, acid regurgitation, bilirubin elevation and edema of lower limbs. All patients recovered after treatment cessation without reductions in dose, or withdrawal of DAAs or immunosuppressive agents.

Conclusions

HCV genotype 1b and 2a are the only genotypes and 1b is predominant in our center. Antiviral treatment with DAAs in HCV-infected kidney transplant recipients is persistently effective and well tolerated during long-term follow-up. A regular monitoring of renal function in patients who receive DAAs regimens with preexisting impaired renal function is strongly recommended. Furthermore, the trough CNIs levels were recommended to be frequently monitored.

Balancing the risk and rewards of utilizing organs from hepatitis C viremic donors

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Owing to long waitlist times and high waitlist morbidity and mortality, strategies to increase utilization of hepatitis C viremic-deceased donor organs are under investigation in kidney, liver, heart, and lung transplantation.

RECENT FINDINGS

Direct-acting antiviral medications for hepatitis C virus infection have high cure rates and are well tolerated. Small, single-center trials in kidney and heart transplant recipients have demonstrated that with early posttransplant direct-acting antiviral therapy, 100% of uninfected recipients of hepatitis C viremic organs have been cured of infection after transplantation.

SUMMARY

In this manuscript, we review the risks and rewards of utilizing hepatitis C viremic organs for transplantation.

Solid Organ Transplantation in HIV-Infected Recipients: History, Progress, and Frontiers

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

End-stage organ disease prevalence is increasing among HIV-infected (HIV+) individuals. Trial and registry data confirm that solid organ transplantation (SOT) is efficacious in this population. Optimizing access to transplant and decreasing complications represent active frontiers.

RECENT FINDINGS

HIV+ recipients historically experienced 2-4-fold higher rejection. Integrase strand transferase inhibitors (INSTIs) minimize drug interactions and may reduce rejection along with lymphodepleting induction immunosuppression. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) coinfection has been associated with inferior outcomes, yet direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) may mitigate this. Experience in South Africa and the US HIV Organ Policy Equity (HOPE) Act support HIV+ donor to HIV+ recipient (HIV D+/R+) transplantation. SOT is the optimal treatment for end-stage organ disease in HIV+ individuals. Recent advances include use of INSTIs and DAAs in transplant recipients; however, strategies to improve access to transplant are needed. HIV D+/R+ transplantation is under investigation and may improve access and provide insights for HIV cure and pathogenesis research.

Hepatitis C virus infection in kidney transplantation-changing paradigms with novel agents

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a common cause of increased morbidity and mortality in kidney transplant patients. It is associated with posttransplant glomerulonephritis, chronic allograft nephropathy, and New Onset Diabetes after Transplant (NODAT). In the past, HCV was difficult to treat due to the presence of interferon alpha-based therapies that were difficult to tolerate and were associated with adverse side-effects, such as the risk of rejection. With the advent of oral directly acting antiviral therapies, the landscape for HCV and transplantation has changed. These agents are highly effective and well tolerated with minimal side-effects. Sustained viral response rates in excess of 90% are achieved with most current treatment regimens active against all HCV genotypes. These new agents may show an improvement in graft and patient survival while essentially eliminating the risk of acute rejection from the use of prior interferon-based HCV therapies. These agents may also result in an improvement in organ allocation for HCV donor/HCV recipient transplantation. This review is meant to discuss the epidemiology of HCV, the new oral direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs) and future opportunities for research in the field of HCV related transplantation.

Transplantation of hepatitis C virus infected kidneys into hepatitis C virus uninfected recipients

Long wait times for kidney transplant and the high risk of mortality on dialysis have prompted investigation into strategies to increase organ allocation and decrease discard rates of potentially viable kidneys. Organs from hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibody positive donors are often rejected; nearly 500 HCV-infected kidneys are discarded annually in the United States. Due the opioid epidemic, the number of HCV-infected donors has increased because of a rise in both new HCV infections and drug-related deaths. In the past 5 years, HCV has been transformed into a curable illness with direct-acting antiviral therapies (DAAs) that are effective in >95% of patients treated and are extremely well tolerated. Recent data has shown several direct-acting antiviral combinations are safe and effective after kidney transplant, and can achieve the same high cure rate seen in the general population and without increasing the rate of acute rejection. Because of this, strategies to decrease discard of HCV-infected organs have been devised. Two recent studies have transplanted HCV-uninfected dialysis patients with kidneys from donors actively infected with HCV; recipients were treated with DAA in the peri-transplant period. More research is needed to determine the safety and efficacy of this approach, but it has the potential to dramatically increase the donor pool of available kidneys, shorten waitlist times and ultimately decreases mortality in patients waiting for kidney transplant.

Effectiveness of fixed-dose combination of paritaprevir, ritonavir, ombitasvir, and dasabuvir in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection and chronic kidney diseases: real-life experiences

INTRODUCTION

Both hepatitis C virus infection (HCV) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) have been comorbid illnesses with increasing morbidity and mortality. The present study was conducted to present real-life experiences about treatment of HCV and CKD with a fixed-dose combination of paritaprevir 150 mg/day, ritonavir 100 mg/day as a booster, ombitasvir 25 mg/day, and dasabuvir 250 mg twice/day, the PROD regimen.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This was a multicenter, retrospective cohort study. Seventy-five patients with both HCV and CKD were treated with a PROD-based regimen with or without ribavirin. Fifty-three of 75 patients were on maintenance hemodialysis program. Seven patients had compensated liver cirrhosis. The patients with genotype 1a or compensated liver cirrhosis were treated with the PROD regimen and ribavirin in a dose of 200 mg every other day for 12 weeks. The patients with genotype 1b were treated with PROD for 12 weeks. The patients with genotype 4 were treated with a combination of paritaprevir, ritonavir, ombitasvir, and ribavirin 200 mg every other day.

RESULTS

All patients except one were HCV-RNA negative (98.6%) at the end of treatment. One patient had decompensated after the fourth day of therapy. She stopped the treatment, and she was exitus after 2 months. Two patients died of reasons not related to the drugs 2 months after negativity of HCV-RNA. Sustained viral rate 12 weeks after treatment was found in 96% of the patients.

CONCLUSION

The PROD regimen was very effective and safe for treatment in patients with HCV and CKD who were in stages 4 and 5.

Management of hepatitis C virus infection in patients with chronic kidney disease: position statement of the joint committee of Italian association for the study of the liver (AISF), Italian society of internal medicine (SIMI), Italian society of infectious and tropical disease (SIMIT) and Italian society of nephrology (SIN)

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is now considered a systemic disease due to the occurrence of extra-hepatic manifestations. Among these, the renal involvement is frequent. HCV infection, in fact, is strongly associated with proteinuria and chronic kidney disease (CKD) and negatively affects the prognosis of renal patients. In the last few years, availability of more specific and effective drugs against HCV has dramatically changed the clinical course of this disease. These drugs may provide further advantages in the CKD population as a whole by reducing progression of renal disease, mortality rate and by increasing the survival of graft in renal transplant recipients. The strict pathogenetic and prognostic link between HCV infection and CKD requires an ongoing relationship among the healthcare professionals involved in the treatment of both HCV infection and CKD. Therefore, Scientific Societies involved in the care of this high-risk population in Italy have organized a joint expert panel. The aim of the panel is to produce a position statement that can be used in daily clinical practice for the management of HCV infected patients across the whole spectrum of renal disease, from the conservative phase to renal replacement treatments (dialysis and transplantation). Sharing specific evidence-based expertise of different professional healthcare is the first step to obtain a common ground of knowledge on which to instate a model for multidisciplinary management of this high-risk population. Statements cover seven areas including epidemiology of CKD, HCV-induced glomerular damage, HCV-related renal risk, staging of liver disease in patients with CKD, prevention of transmission of HCV in hemodialysis units, treatment of HCV infection and management of HCV in kidney transplantation.

Management of hepatitis C virus infection in patients with chronic kidney disease: position statement of the joint committee of Italian association for the study of the liver (AISF), Italian society of internal medicine (SIMI), Italian society of infectious and tropical disease (SIMIT) and Italian society of nephrology (SIN)

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is now considered a systemic disease due to the occurrence of extra-hepatic manifestations. Among these, the renal involvement is frequent. HCV infection, in fact, is strongly associated with proteinuria and chronic kidney disease (CKD) and negatively affects the prognosis of renal patients. In the last few years, availability of more specific and effective drugs against HCV has dramatically changed the clinical course of this disease. These drugs may provide further advantages in the CKD population as a whole by reducing progression of renal disease, mortality rate and by increasing the survival of graft in renal transplant recipients. The strict pathogenetic and prognostic link between HCV infection and CKD requires an ongoing relationship among the healthcare professionals involved in the treatment of both HCV infection and CKD. Therefore, Scientific Societies involved in the care of this high-risk population in Italy have organized a joint expert panel. The aim of the panel is to produce a position statement that can be used in daily clinical practice for the management of HCV infected patients across the whole spectrum of renal disease, from the conservative phase to renal replacement treatments (dialysis and transplantation). Sharing specific evidence-based expertise of different professional healthcare is the first step to obtain a common ground of knowledge on which to instate a model for multidisciplinary management of this high-risk population. Statements cover seven areas including epidemiology of CKD, HCV-induced glomerular damage, HCV-related renal risk, staging of liver disease in patients with CKD, prevention of transmission of HCV in hemodialysis units, treatment of HCV infection and management of HCV in kidney transplantation.

Management of hepatitis C virus infection in patients with chronic kidney disease: position statement of the joint committee of Italian association for the study of the liver (AISF), Italian society of internal medicine (SIMI), Italian society of infectious and tropical disease (SIMIT) and Italian society of nephrology (SIN)

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is now considered a systemic disease due to the occurrence of extra-hepatic manifestations. Among these, the renal involvement is frequent. HCV infection, in fact, is strongly associated with proteinuria and chronic kidney disease (CKD) and negatively affects the prognosis of renal patients. In the last few years, availability of more specific and effective drugs against HCV has dramatically changed the clinical course of this disease. These drugs may provide further advantages in the CKD population as a whole by reducing progression of renal disease, mortality rate and by increasing the survival of graft in renal transplant recipients. The strict pathogenetic and prognostic link between HCV infection and CKD requires an ongoing relationship among the healthcare professionals involved in the treatment of both HCV infection and CKD. Therefore, Scientific Societies involved in the care of this high-risk population in Italy have organized a joint expert panel. The aim of the panel is to produce a position statement that can be used in daily clinical practice for the management of HCV infected patients across the whole spectrum of renal disease, from the conservative phase to renal replacement treatments (dialysis and transplantation). Sharing specific evidence-based expertise of different professional healthcare is the first step to obtain a common ground of knowledge on which to instate a model for multidisciplinary management of this high-risk population. Statements cover seven areas including epidemiology of CKD, HCV-induced glomerular damage, HCV-related renal risk, staging of liver disease in patients with CKD, prevention of transmission of HCV in hemodialysis units, treatment of HCV infection and management of HCV in kidney transplantation.

Management of hepatitis C virus infection in patients with chronic kidney disease: position statement of the joint committee of Italian association for the study of the liver (AISF), Italian society of internal medicine (SIMI), Italian society of infectious and tropical disease (SIMIT) and Italian society of nephrology (SIN)

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is now considered a systemic disease due to the occurrence of extra-hepatic manifestations. Among these, the renal involvement is frequent. HCV infection, in fact, is strongly associated with proteinuria and chronic kidney disease (CKD) and negatively affects the prognosis of renal patients. In the last few years, availability of more specific and effective drugs against HCV has dramatically changed the clinical course of this disease. These drugs may provide further advantages in the CKD population as a whole by reducing progression of renal disease, mortality rate and by increasing the survival of graft in renal transplant recipients. The strict pathogenetic and prognostic link between HCV infection and CKD requires an ongoing relationship among the healthcare professionals involved in the treatment of both HCV infection and CKD. Therefore, Scientific Societies involved in the care of this high-risk population in Italy have organized a joint expert panel. The aim of the panel is to produce a position statement that can be used in daily clinical practice for the management of HCV infected patients across the whole spectrum of renal disease, from the conservative phase to renal replacement treatments (dialysis and transplantation). Sharing specific evidence-based expertise of different professional healthcare is the first step to obtain a common ground of knowledge on which to instate a model for multidisciplinary management of this high-risk population. Statements cover seven areas including epidemiology of CKD, HCV-induced glomerular damage, HCV-related renal risk, staging of liver disease in patients with CKD, prevention of transmission of HCV in hemodialysis units, treatment of HCV infection and management of HCV in kidney transplantation.

Eradication of HCV in Renal Transplant Recipients and Its Effects on Quality of Life

Background

The use of direct antiviral agents (DAA) has radically modified the course of HCV hepatitis in renal patients. Aim of this study was to assess the effects of HCV eradication on quality of life (QOL) in renal transplant recipients (RTR), measured by CLDQ and SF-36.

Methods

Sixteen RTR with well preserved GFR (mean: 60.3±19.3 ml/min) and chronic HCV infection with moderate liver stiffness (9.3±1.7 kPa) were given a sofosbuvir-based regimen for 12 weeks and had a 1 year follow-up.

Results

At end of treatment (EOT) a complete viral clearance was observed in all the patients, with normalization of most laboratory data and a consistent reduction in liver stiffness. All these parameters remained stable after 1 year, as well as renal function and proteinuria. Questionnaire data showed consistent amelioration in different “emotional” domains at EOT, which persisted after 1 year and were associated with a globally improved QOL, although there was no change in most of the “physical” domains in both questionnaires. One patient under ribavirin developed an acute anemia and withdrew from the study, but no further adverse episode was observed throughout the study.

Conclusions

Our data, while confirming the efficacy of oral DAA, show that HCV infection represents a heavy psychological burden in renal transplant recipients, greatly alleviated by viral eradication, which determines a significant improvement in QOL that represents an important outcome in management of all transplant recipients. This trial is registered with ISRCTN97560076.

Direct-acting antiviral therapy for hepatitis C virus infection in the kidney transplant recipient

Hepatitis C virus infection (HCV) is a common comorbidity in patients who have undergone kidney transplantation and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality compared with recipients who do not have chronic HCV infection. Because interferon-α-based therapies can precipitate acute rejection, they are relatively contraindicated after kidney transplantation. Thus, the majority of kidney transplant recipients with HCV remain untreated. There are now all-oral, interferon-free direct-acting antiviral therapies for HCV infection that are extremely effective and well tolerated in the general population. Recent reports in the literature demonstrate that direct-acting antiviral therapies effectively cured HCV in 406 of 418 kidney transplant recipients (97%); the majority were treated with sofosbuvir-based regimens. Smaller numbers of kidney transplant recipients have been treated with paritaprevir-ritonavir, ombitasvir and dasabuvir, elbasvir-grazoprevir, or glecaprevir-pibrentasvir with excellent success. Direct-acting antiviral therapies were well tolerated and did not increase the rate of acute rejection. The latest advances include approval of regimens that can treat patients with advanced allograft dysfunction (eGFR < 30 ml/min per 1.73 m²) and "pan-genotypic" regimens that have activity against all 6 major genotypes of HCV. This review summarizes what is known about the epidemiology of HCV infection in kidney transplant recipients, and presents the landscape of direct-acting antiviral therapies and areas in need of further investigation.