Chronic liver disease in kidney recipients with hepatitis C virus infection

Background: The prevalence of anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) positive test is higher among patients in dialysis and in kidney recipients than in general population. Hepatitis C virus infection is the main cause of chronic liver disease in renal transplant patients. Liver biopsy and virological analysis were performed to clarify the grade of liver damage in kidney recipients. Methods: Renal recipients patients with at least 5 yr under immunosuppression were submitted to clinical and laboratory analysis. Patients who tested anti-HCV positive were candidates to liver biopsy with no regard to transaminase levels. Results: Forty-five patients tested anti-HCV positive and 42 anti-HCV negative. Twenty-six anti-HCV and RNA-HCV positive patients were submitted to liver biopsy. Seventy-three percentage of these patients presented chronic active hepatitis, from these only one patient presented cirrhosis. Only 29% of the anti-HCV positive group presented elevated alanine aminotransferase levels. Anti-HCV positive patients presented longer previous time on dialysis and less rejection episodes than the group anti-HCV negative (p