Treatment of
hepatitis C in renal transplant recipients remains a controversial issue, as
interferon therapy has been associated with a high risk of rejection and poor efficacy. We report here the use of pegylated
interferon-alpha, alone or in combination with
ribavirin, in renal transplant recipients with
chronic hepatitis C. Eight renal transplant recipients with
chronic hepatitis C were recruited. The mean delay between
renal transplantation and
antiviral therapy was 198.8 months. Sustained virological response was observed in four of out eight patients. Three patients with sustained virological response were genotype 2, one was genotype 1;
fibrosis stages were F1 for one patient, F2 for 2, F3 for one. At baseline, renal dysfunction was moderate in seven patients and severe in one patient. No patient experienced rejection episodes during or after pegylated
interferon-alpha therapy. One patient developed haemolytic uraemic syndrome, which eventually resulted in graft loss and return to dialysis. In conclusion, for renal transplant recipients treated with pegylated
interferon-alpha-based
therapy, we observed a low risk of renal dysfunction, acceptable tolerance and significant virological efficacy. This is therefore the first study to suggest that pegylated
interferon-alpha could be proposed late after
transplantation to renal transplant recipients.