Year: 2018
Type: article
Abstract: POinTs• Hundreds of high-quality deceased-donor organs are discarded each year because of detection of hepatitis C infection, delaying lifesaving transplants.• Multiple studies have shown that direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy is both safe and highly effective in preventing or treating donor-derived hepatitis C infection in patients with solid organ transplant.• Pan-genotypic DAA therapy is cost-effective, and insurance coverage has not proven to be a major issue for patients post transplant.There are more than 125,000 individuals in need of solid organ transplant in the United States. 1 Depending on the organ type, national data indicate that approximately half of these patients will undergo transplantation within 1 year, whereas nearly 20% will be removed from the wait list because of clinical deterioration or death. 1 Expanding the donor pool to include hepatitis C virus-infected (HCV + ) donor organs is an important means to bridge this gap. HCv + OrGans are inCreasinGlY availaBle YeT FreQUenTlY DisCarDeDDue to the catastrophic opiate epidemic, the proportion of deceased HCV + donors has risen significantly, with an overall prevalence rate of 8.5% among potential donors and more than 30% prevalence rate among those dying of drug overdose.2 Nearly 4% of donors may be viremic by screening nucleic acid test (NAT) at donation.These potential donors are younger and have little comorbidity.2,3 Despite these qualities, HCV + organs are discarded at high rates.A 2018 study showed 3.7-fold higher discard of HCV + kidneys compared with matched HCV-uninfected (HCV -) donor kidneys, including discard of 388 HCV + kidneys in 2017 alone.
Source: Clinical Liver Disease
DOI: 10.1002/cld.743
Authors: William A. Werbel, Christine M. Durand
Institutions: Johns Hopkins University, Johns Hopkins Medicine
Language: English
Topic: Hepatitis C virus research
Subfield: Hepatology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W2899881490