Liver Grafts Feasible From Hep C-Positive Donors After Circulatory Death

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 4, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Liver grafts from hepatitis C virus-positive (HCV+) donation after circulatory death (DCD) donors have one-year patient and graft survival comparable with that of donation after brain death (DBD) liver grafts from donors with or without HCV infection, according to a study published online Aug. 22 in Transplantation.

Sai Rithin Punjala, M.D., from The Ohio State University in Columbus, and colleagues evaluated organ utilization and outcomes of liver grafts from DCD donors with HCV infection. The analysis included national registry and local center data of all deceased donor liver transplants performed between November 2016 and December 2021.

The researchers found that out of 146 U.S. liver transplant centers, liver transplants were not performed from DCD donors, HCV-positive donors, and a combination of DCD and HCV-positive donors by 28.7, 27, and 70 to 72 percent of centers, respectively. An increasing center acceptance ratio was associated with increased utilization of liver grafts from DCD HCV-negative and DCD HCV antibody-positive nucleic acid test negative donors. Overall, one-year graft survival of HCV-negative DCD liver grafts was lower compared with other groups (89 versus 92 percent HCV-positive DCD versus 93 percent HCV-positive DBD versus 92 percent HCV-negative DBD).

"These results encourage the widespread use of liver grafts from DCD and HCV-positive donors and standardization of practice in DCD donation to expand the donor pool without compromising short-term outcomes," the authors write.

Abstract/Full Text