Published in:
01-03-2017 | Hepatitis C (J Ahn and A Aronsohn, Section Editors)
Use of Hepatitis C-Positive Donor Livers in Liver Transplantation
Published in: Current Hepatology Reports | Issue 1/2017
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Purpose of Review
The purpose of this article is to review recent literature regarding the use of hepatitis C virus (HCV)-positive donor livers in liver transplantation. Given the prevalence of HCV-positive patients on the waitlist coupled with high waitlist mortality, use of HCV-positive livers may be a means to meet patient needs. This review seeks to primarily answer the following questions: can HCV-positive livers be used safely and effectively? Are new direct-acting antiviral medications safe and effective in HCV-positive liver recipients?
Recent Findings
Use of HCV-positive donor livers for liver transplantation in HCV-positive recipients is increasing. These donor livers have equivalent patient and graft survival when compared to HCV-negative donor livers in HCV-positive liver transplant recipients. Recent studies suggest that use of direct-acting antiviral medications in HCV-positive liver transplant recipients can be successful, although there is insufficient data for their use in recipients of HCV-positive donor livers.
Summary
HCV-positive donor livers may be safely and effectively used in HCV-positive liver transplant recipients. Direct-acting antiviral medications appear safe and effective in HCV-positive liver transplant recipients, but data on their efficacy in HCV-positive donor liver transplant recipients are limited. Future research should focus on the use of HCV-positive donor livers in HCV-negative liver transplant recipients.