Transplantation Outcomes in HCV-Negative Patients Receiving HCV-Positive Donor Livers

It is routine for livers from hepatitis C virus (HCV)–positive donors to be transplanted into HCV-positive recipients. Now, with highly effective treatments available for HCV infection, centers are beginning to transplant HCV-positive donor livers into HCV-negative recipients with the expectation of eradicating HCV infection posttransplantation.

To assess outcomes in HCV-negative patients receiving HCV-positive donor livers, researchers analyzed data from the United Network of Organ Sharing (UNOS) database of nearly 25,000 patients undergoing liver transplantation between 2014 and 2018. Patients were stratified based on HCV antibody and RNA (nucleic acid amplification testing [NAT]) status of donors and recipients. One-year post–liver-transp…