Hepatitis C Virus “Seroconversion” in Seronegative Recipients of Infected or Exposed Donors, Explained

Because of the opioid epidemic and the shortage of organs available for transplantation, many programs now transplant organs from hepatitis C virus (HCV)–infected donors into HCV-negative recipients. Recipients are then treated medically to cure the donor-derived HCV infection. HCV antibody has been detected in recipients of exposed but not actively infected donors and also very soon after transplant in HCV-negative recipients of HCV nucleic acid (NAT)–positive donors. To investigate the origin of this antibody, researchers tested posttransplant blood specimens for HCV antibody, including with an investigational immunoglobulin M (IgM) assay, from 31 kidney and 9 heart HCV NAT–negative recipients of HCV NAT–positive donors.

Of the 40 recipien…