Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C Virus Infection and Outcome of Hemodialysis and Kidney Transplant Patients

Aim. A comparison of the outcome of hepatitis virus-positive and -negative kidney transplant and hemodialysis patients was the aim of this investigation. Materials and Methods. The study involved 384 kidney transplant patients (67 HBsAg positive, 39 anti-HCV positive, 278 hepatitis negative), transplanted between 1987 and 2001, and 403 hemodialysis patients (128 HBsAg positive, 83 anti-HCV positive, 192 hepatitis negative) who had started hemodialysis and were referred to the kidney transplant waiting list during the same period. Results. Hemodialysis patients were older than transplant patients. Comparison of the groups’ survival rates, adjusted for patient age, showed that all kidney transplant patients survived longer than hemodialysis patients (p < 0.001). HBV infection had a negative impact on patient survival, especially in hemodialysis patients. HCV infection did not have a significant influence on patient survival. Cardiovascular disease was the main cause of death of all hemodialysis- and hepatit...