The acquisition time of infection: a determinant of the severity of hepatitis C virus-related liver disease in renal transplant patients

Paritaprevir, ritonavir, ombitasvir, and dasabuvir treatment in renal transplant patients with hepatitis C virus infection

BACKGROUND/AIMS

The Social Security System of our country reimburses only paritaprevir, ritonavir, ombitasvir, and dasabuvir (PrOD) regime in treatment-naive patients with hepatitis C regardless of kidney disease. Most of our renal transplant (RT) recipients were treated with PrOD. The aim of the present study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of PrOD in RT patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in a single center real-life experience.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

RT recipients with a post-transplant follow-up of at least 1 year were included in the study. The patients were treated and monitored according to the guidelines. Blood levels of immunosuppressive patients were closely followed up and adjusted.

RESULTS

A total of 21 (12 male and nine female) patients were assessed. The age of the patients was 50.8±8.5 years. Ten patients were infected with G1a, 10 patients with G1b, and one patient with G4 HCV. Two patients had compensated cirrhosis. Eighteen patients were treatment-naive, and three were peginterferon+ribavirin-experienced. Sustained virologic response (SVR12) was achieved in all patients. None of the patients discontinued the treatment. Cyclosporine (Csa) and tacrolimus (Tac) doses were reduced to once a day to once a week to maintain the blood level within normal range. The most common adverse effect was anemia in patients receiving ribavirin. Renal functions did not change during the treatment period.

CONCLUSION

In this real-life experience, all of the 21 PrOD-treated RT recipients reached SVR12. Tac or Csa serum levels were maintained within the normal range with close monitoring. PrOD regime can be successfully and safely used in RT recipients with HCV infection with close follow-up.

Posttransplant De Novo Hepatitis C Virus Infection in Renal Transplant Recipients: Its Impact on Morbidity and Mortality

OBJECTIVES

The clinical effects of hepatitis C virus infection acquired after transplant have not been thoroughly studied. We aimed to study hepatitis C virus-related morbidity and mortality with de novo hepatitis C virus infection after renal transplant.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Data from mortality files were retrospectively collected from January 2011 to January 2015. Patients were divided into 2 groups: hepatitis C virus positive (group A) and hepatitis C virus negative (group B).

RESULTS

Eighty-one patients were included, with median duration of survival of 39 months after transplant. In group A (32 patients), 78.1% of patients were males, with mean age of 36.83 ± 9.15 years. The mean survival duration was better in group A than in group B (67.59 ± 67.1 vs 58.10 ± 59.6 mo; P = .58). Acute cellular rejection was 25% in group A versus 20.4% in group B, whereas chronic allograft nephropathy was 20.4% for group A versus 18.4% for group B. Hepatitis C virus-related death was observed in 7 patients (21.9%). Infection was the main cause of death, with 40.6% of patients in group A versus 53% of patients in group B. On multivariate analyses, better patient survival was associated with greater interval of acquiring HCV after transplant (P = .038).

CONCLUSIONS

HCV infection acquired after renal transplant is not associated with increased HCV-related mortality, and prognosis is related to the time interval of acquiring infection after transplant.

Pretransplant Hepatitis B Viral Infection Increases Risk of Death After Kidney Transplantation: A Multicenter Cohort Study in Korea

Clinical outcomes in kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) with hepatitis B virus (HBV) have not been thoroughly evaluated. Here, we investigated recent posttransplant clinical outcomes of KTRs with HBV and compared them with KTRs with hepatitis C virus (HCV) and seronegative KTRs.Of 3855 KTRs from April 1999 to December 2011, we enrolled 3482 KTRs who had viral hepatitis serology data; the patients were followed up for 89.1 ± 54.1 months. The numbers of recipients with HBV and HCV were 160 (4.6%) and 55 (1.6%), respectively. We analyzed the clinical outcomes, including overall mortality and graft failure, among patients who had undergone kidney transplantation.Patients with HBV showed poorer survival (P = 0.019; adjusted hazard ratio [HR] = 2.370; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.155-4.865) than KTRs without HBV. However, the graft survival of patients with chronic hepatitis B did not differ from that of patients without HBV. Hepatic complications were the primary causes of mortality of KTRs with HBV. Mortality significantly correlated with a higher grade of inflammation (P = 0.002) and with the use of lamivudine or adefovir antiviral treatment (P = 0.016). HBV-positive KTRs treated with the new-generation antiviral agent entecavir showed improved patient survival compared with KTRs receiving lamivudine (log-rank P = 0.050). HCV did not affect patient survival; however, it increased the incidence of graft failure (P = 0.010; adjusted HR = 2.899; 95% CI: 1.289-6.519). KTRs with HCV had an increased incidence of acute rejection (log-rank P = 0.005, crude HR = 2.144; 95% CI: 1.341-3.426; P = 0.001).KTRs with chronic hepatitis B may exhibit poor survival due to post-transplantation hepatic complications. Pretransplant histological liver evaluations and adequate antiviral management with potent nucleoside/nucleotide analogues are needed to improve the survival of KTRs with chronic hepatitis B even when liver function is within the normal range.

Management of patients with hepatitis C infection and renal disease

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) is associated with more rapid liver disease progression and reduced renal graft and patients' survival following kidney transplantation. Evaluations and management of HCV in patients with renal disease are challenging. The pharmacokinetics of interferons (IFN), ribavirin (RBV) and some direct acting antiviral (DAA), such as sofosbuvir, are altered in patients with ESRD. With dose adjustment and careful monitoring, treatment of HCV in patients with ESRD can be associated with sustained virological response (SVR) rates nearly comparable to that of patients with normal renal function. DAA-based regimens, especially the IFN-free and RBV-free regimens, are theoretically preferred for patients with ESRD and KT in order to increase SVR rates and to reduce treatment side effects. However, based on the data for pharmacokinetics, dosing safety and efficacy of DAA for patients with severe renal impairment are lacking. This review will be focused on the evaluations, available pharmacologic data, and management of HCV in patients with severe renal impairment, patients who underwent KT, and those who suffered from HCV-related renal disease, according to the available treatment options, including DAA.

Hepatitis C virus infection and kidney transplantation in 2014: what's new?

Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection remains an important health problem, which is associated with deleterious consequences in kidney transplant recipients. Besides hepatic complications, several extrahepatic complications contribute to reduced patient and allograft survival in HCV-infected kidney recipients. However, HCV infection should not be considered as a contraindication for kidney transplantation because patient survival is better with transplantation than on dialysis. Treatment of HCV infection is currently interferon-alpha (IFN-α) based, which has been associated with higher renal allograft rejection rates. Therefore, antiviral treatment before transplantation is preferable. As in the nontransplant setting, IFN-free treatment regimens, because of their greater efficacy and reduced toxicity, currently represent promising and attractive therapeutic options after kidney transplantation as well. However, clinical trials will be required to closely evaluate these regimens in kidney recipients. There is also a need for prospective controlled studies to determine the optimal immunosuppressive regimens after transplantation in HCV-infected recipients. Combined kidney and liver transplantation is required in patients with advanced liver cirrhosis. However, in patients with cleared HCV infection and early cirrhosis without portal hypertension, kidney transplantation alone may be considered. There is some agreement about the use of HCV-positive donors in HCV-infected recipients, although data regarding posttransplant survival rates are controversial.

Time of acquisition of HCV infection in renal transplant recipients: a major prognostic factor for disease progression

BACKGROUND

This study aims to identify crucial factors affecting the evolution of liver disease in HCV-infected renal transplant recipients.

METHODS

Forty-two HCV-infected recipients with known time of HCV acquisition were followed up for a mean (SD) of 7.6 ± 3.4 yr after transplantation with consecutive liver biopsies. Hepatitis progression was defined by: a) fibrosis progression ≥ 0.2 stages/yr and/or b) development of a cholestatic syndrome.

RESULTS

Twenty-three patients (54.8%) displayed benign and 19 (45.2%) aggressive hepatitis progression. Hepatitis course was aggressive in 9.1% and 85% of the patients infected pre- and peri/post-transplantation, respectively (p < 0.001). In multivariate analysis, patients who acquired HCV infection peri- or after transplantation had an increased risk of an adverse outcome compared with those infected before transplantation (p = 0.001). HCV RNA levels at the time of first liver biopsy were lower in patients showing a benign course compared with those with aggressive evolution (p = 0.052).

CONCLUSIONS

Time of acquisition of HCV infection is a major prognostic factor for hepatitis progression in the setting of renal transplantation. Immunosuppression was found to be determinant in the progression of HCV infection acquired peri- or post-transplantation. High viral load seems to be crucial in the pathogenetic process.

What kind of changes occurred in clinical characteristics of deceased kidney donor recipients after national allocation system in Turkey? A single-center retrospective analysis

OBJECTIVE

Clinical characteristics of recipients of deceased donor renal transplantations were evaluated in the period before versus after implementation of The National Allocation System (NAS).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We evaluated retrospectively clinical profiles of the 42 after NAS (June 2008-December 2010) versus 42 consecutive deceased donor renal transplantation patients before NAS. Patient and graft survival rates were assessed using the Kaplan-Meier method; graft function was assessed based on creatinine clearance with the Cockcroft Gault equation. Patient and donor data were obtained from medical records.

RESULTS

Recipients were older in the pre-NAS group (39 ± 8 vs 33 ± 8 years, respectively; P = .001) and median duration of preoperative dialysis was longer in the post-NAS group (103 ± 61 months vs 50 ± 36 months, respectively; P = .000). The average number of human leukocyte antigen-mismatched antigens were pre-NAS 3.4 ± 1.0 versus post-NAS 3.9 ± 1.2 (P = .05). Considering the recipients serological status 9 were hepatitis C virus (HCV)(+) and 2 hepatitis B virus (HBV)(+) among the post-NAS versus no HBV(+) and only 1 HCV(+) patient pre-NAS. Kaplan-Meier analysis of graft survival rates showed 90% at 1 and 85% at 3 years pre-NAS. Similar to 95% at 1 and 86% at 3 years for the post-NAS group (P > .05). Likewise, patient survival rates for both groups at 1 and 3 years were 97%. The mean parameter of donor age, allograft loss, cold ischemia time, patient death, number of retransplantations, HBV(+) patients, and delayed graft function were similar between groups (P > .05).

DISCUSSION

After NAS the transplant recipients were older, had a longer duration of dialysis, greater number of HLA mismatched antigens and, more HCV(+). No differences were observed in short-term patient and graft survival rates.

Impact of pulmonary and extrapulmonary tuberculosis infection in kidney transplantation: a nationwide population-based study in Taiwan

BACKGROUND

Tuberculosis (TB) has been reported to increase morbidity after kidney transplantation and pose a therapeutic challenge. However, population-based research, specifically focused on the association between kidney transplantation and subsequent pulmonary or extrapulmonary TB, is lacking.

METHODS

A nationwide population-based study was conducted using Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database, which provided claims data belonging to kidney transplant recipients during 1997-2006. Multivariate analysis was used to identify independent risk factors for TB after kidney transplantation. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to assess the outcome of patients with TB.

RESULTS

Among 4554 kidney transplant recipients over the 10-year period, 109 (2.4%) patients with newly diagnosed TB were identified: 75 patients with only pulmonary involvement, and 34 with extrapulmonary spread. The incidence of kidney transplant recipients developing TB was 638 per 100,000 person-years. The independent risk factors for post-transplant TB included cyclosporine-based immunosuppressant agents during the first year after kidney transplantation (odds ratio [OR]: 1.98, P = 0.001), hepatitis C infection (OR: 1.79, P = 0.024), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (OR: 1.50, P = 0.041). Kidney transplant recipients who developed TB had a lower 5-year survival rate than those who did not (78.6% vs. 93.4%, P = 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Kidney transplant recipients in Taiwan did have a high risk of TB infection, with high proportion of extrapulmonary spread. Physicians need to be vigilant in surveying for TB in kidney transplantation, especially in high-risk patients.