Open AccessDirect-acting antiviral drugs against hepatitis C virus in renal transplant recipients: Is it the dawn of an interferon-free Era?
Author(s) -
Dharshan Rangaswamy,
Shankar Prasad Nagaraju,
Ravindra Prabhu Attur
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
saudi journal of kidney diseases and transplantation/našrat amraḍ wa zira'aẗ al-kulaẗ
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.268
H-Index - 30
eISSN - 2320-3838
pISSN - 1319-2442
DOI - 10.4103/1319-2442.215140
Subject(s) - medicine , renal transplant , hepatitis c virus , interferon , cirrhosis , population , hepatitis c , immunology , hemodialysis , viral load , virology , virus , intensive care medicine , transplantation , environmental health
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a significant problem among hemodialysis population, especially in India where renal transplant often gets delayed in the presence of live-related donors. An acceleration of liver cirrhosis and poor renal allograft outcomes are often witnessed in allograft recipients with high viral load. Use of interferon in the postrenal transplant setting for the treatment of hepatitis C viral infection was limited to a few grave situations, fearing the precipitation of allograft rejection and poor efficacy for sustained virological remission. However, the availability of newer direct-acting antivirals has opened a new tool box in the management of HCV in the postrenal transplant setting and in reducing the pretransplant waiting period