Retrospective Study on the Impact of Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C Virus Infection on Renal Transplnat Recipients Over 15 Years

Bang, Byung Kee; Choi, Bum Soon; Kim, Hyung Wook; Kim, Sung Kwon; Yang, Chul Woo; Kim, Yong Soo; Kim, Suk Young; Choi, Euy Jin; Chang, Yoon Sik

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The impact of hepatitis B or hepatitis C virus infection on renal transplantation outcome is controversial. The aim of this study is to assess the impact of hepatitis B and hepatitis C infection on kidney transplant over the long-term, 15 years and to compare infected patients with noninfected patients matched for factors possibly associated with graft and patient survival.
METHODS
We analyzed 1,042 patients who underwent renal transplantation in period from March 1984 to Dec. 1998 including 107 with positive HBsAg (HBV(+) group), 81 with positive anti-HCV antibody (HCV(+) group) and 714 noninfected recipients (NBNC group). One hundred-forty patients who had not taken ani-HCV antibody screening test were excluded. The prevalence of chronic liver disease, the patient mortality, the patient survival rate and the graft survival rate were evaluated.
RESULTS
The patient mortality during the period of follow-up was significantly higher in HBV(+) group(32.7%) than in HCV(+) group(9.9%) and NBNC group(8.4%). The cause of death related to liver desease was significantly higher in HBV(+) group(57.1%) than HCV(+) group(0%) and NBNC group(1.7%). Five year and 10 year graft survival rate were significantly lower in HBV(+) group(52.2 %, 39.2%) than in HCV(+) group(68.4%, 47.2%) and NBNC group(86.6%, 65.8%). Five year and 10 year patient survival rate of HBV(+) group(72.0%, 68.9%) was significantly lower than HCV(+) group(91.6%, 87.3%) and NBNC group(94.4%, 88.2%), but there was no significant difference in the patient survival rate between HCV(+) and NBNC group.
CONCLUSION
Hepatitis B virus infection has a significant deleterious effect on the patient and graft survival of renal transplantation recipients. The poor survival rate was a result of the mortality from liver disorder. Hepatitis C virus infection also has a poor graft survival rate compared to NBNC group, but the patient survial rate is similar to NBNC group.