Effect of kidney donor hepatitis C virus serostatus on renal transplant recipient and allograft outcomes

BackgroundHepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is common in dialysis patients and renal transplant recipients and has been associated with diminished patient and allograft survival. HCV-positive (HCV+) kidneys have been used in HCV-positive (HCV+) recipients as a means of facilitating transplantation and expanding the organ donor pool; however, the effect of donor HCV serostatus in the modern era is unknown.MethodsUsing national transplant registry data, we created a propensity score–matched cohort of HCV+ recipients who received HCV-positive donor kidneys compared to those transplanted with HCV-negative kidneys.ResultsTransplantation with an HCV+ kidney was associated with an increased risk of death {hazard ratio [HR] 1.43 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.18–1.76]; P