Increasing Utilization and Excellent Initial Outcomes Following Liver Transplant of Hepatitis C Virus (HCV)-Viremic Donors Into HCV-Negative Recipients: Outcomes Following Liver Transplant of HCV-Viremic Donors

Direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy has altered the frequency and outcome of liver transplantation (LT) for hepatitis C virus (HCV). The high efficacy and tolerability of DAA therapy has also created a rationale for utilizing HCV-viremic (HCV-RNA–positive) donors, including into HCV-negative recipients. We examined trends in frequency of organ utilization and graft survival in recipients of HCV-viremic donors (HCV-RNA positive as measured by nucleic acid testing [NAT]). Data were collected from the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR) on adult patients who underwent a primary, single-organ, deceased donor LT from January 1, 2008 to January 31, 2018. Outcomes of HCV-negative transplant recipients (R^–) who received an allograft from donors who were HCV-RNA positive (DNAT⁺) were compared to outcomes for R^– patients who received organs from donors who were HCV-RNA negative (DNAT^–). There were 11,270 DNAT^–/R^–; 4,748 DNAT^–/R⁺; 87 DNAT⁺/R^–; and 753 DNAT⁺/R⁺ patients, with 2-year graft survival similar across all groups: DNAT^–/R^– 88%; DNAT^–/R⁺ 88%; DNAT⁺/R^– 86%; and DNAT⁺/R⁺ 90%. Additionally, there were 2,635 LTs using HCV antibody-positive donors (DAb⁺): 2,378 DAb⁺/R⁺ and 257 DAb⁺/R^–. The annual number of DAb⁺/R^– transplants increased from seven in 2008 to 107 in 2017. In the post-DAA era, graft survival improved for all recipients, with 3-year survival of DAb⁺/R^– patients and DAb⁺/R⁺ patients increasing to 88% from 79% and to 85% from 78%, respectively. Conclusion: The post-DAA era has seen increased utilization of HCV-viremic donor livers, including HCV-viremic livers into HCV-negative recipients. Early graft outcomes are similar to those of HCV-negative recipients. These results support utilization of HCV-viremic organs in selected recipients both with and without HCV infection.