A controlled study of hepatitis C transmission by organ transplantation

• Published in: The Lancet (British edition) 1995-02, Vol.345 (8948), p.484-487
• Main Authors: Pereira, BrianJ.G, Wright, TeresaL, Schmid, ChristopherH, Levey, AndrewS, The New England Organ Bank Hepatitis C Study Group
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Hepatitis; Hepatitis C; Human viral diseases; Infectious diseases; Medical research; Medical sciences; Organs; Transplantation; Transplants & implants; Viral diseases; Viral hepatitis; Viruses
• ISSN: 0140-6736; 1474-547X
• DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(95)90583-9

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) can be transmitted by transplantation of cadaver organs from donors with antibody to HCV (anti-HCV); therefore, transplantation of organs from anti-HCV positive donors to anti-HCV-negative recipients has been discouraged. We have looked at outcomes in recipients of organs from anti-HCV positive and negative donors to determine whether this advice is well-founded. Stored sera from 716 consecutive cadaver organ donors procured by the New England Organ Bank between 1986 and 1990 were tested for anti-HCV by a first-generation ELISA (ELISA1); 13 (1·8%) were positive. 29 recipients who received organs from these donors were the study group. 37 donors were randomly selected from 703 ELISA1-negative cadaver organ donors. 74 recipients of organs from these 37 donors were the control group. Clinical records were reviewed and recipient sera were tested for anti-HCV with a second-generation ELISA (ELISA2), and HCV RNA was tested for by polymerase chain reaction. Median post-transplant follow-up was 42 and 49 months for study and control groups. Post-transplantation prevalence of anti-HCV and HCV RNA was 67% and 96% among recipients from anti-HCV-positive donors, and 20% and 18% among recipients from anti-HCV-negative donors (p