Kidney Transplantation From Brain-Dead Donors With Hepatitis B or C in South Korea: A 2015 to 2020 Korean Organ Transplantation Registry Data Analysis.

BACKGROUND

According to the current Center for Korean Network for Organ Sharing guidelines for kidney transplantation from brain-dead donors with hepatitis B or C infection, organs from hepatitis B surface antigen-positive (HbsAg) or anti-hepatitis C virus-positive (HCV) donors can only be transplanted into HBsAg or anti-HCV recipients. We aimed to confirm the status and the outcomes of kidney transplantation from brain-dead donors with hepatitis B or C virus in Korea.

METHODS

This retrospective study included all kidney transplantations from brain-dead donors in the Korean Organ Transplantation Registry database between January 2015 and June 2020, divided into 3 groups according to donor hepatitis status. Finally, kidney transplantations from 80 HBV, 12 HCV, and 2013 HBV/HCV donors were included.

RESULTS

No statistically significant differences were observed in the recipient characteristics and the transplant outcomes except the waiting time (HBV to HBV/HCV, P < .001; HCV to HBV/HCV, P = .10; HBV to HCVP = .95). Five-year graft survival rates of the HBV, HCV, and HBV/HCV recipients were 95%, 83%, and 85%, respectively (HBV to HCV, P = .22; HCV to HBV/HCV, P = .81; HBV to HBV/HCV, P = .02). Five-year patient survival rates of the HBV, HCV, and HBV/HCV recipients were 95%, 100%, and 76%, respectively (HBV to HCV, P = .61; HCV to HBV/HCV, P = .13; HBV to HBV/HCV, P < .001).

CONCLUSION

HBV/HCV brain-dead donor kidney transplantation outcomes were comparable to HBV/HCV. South Korea should consider conditionally permitting transplantation from HBV or HCV donors to HBV or HCV recipients to accumulate new data and conduct further studies.