Ten-year follow-up of kidney transplantation from hepatitis B surface antigen-positive donors.

Hepatitis B surface antigen positivity (HBsAg(+)) was believed to be an exclusion for kidney donation. However, in the presence of an organ shortage, allocation of kidneys from HBsAg(+) donors to recipients with anti-HBsAb(+) might be allowed. We examined the 10-year outcomes of kidney transplants (KT) from HBsAg(+) donors to natural or vaccine-induced anti-HBsAb(+) recipients (Group 1). Hepatitis B hyperimmune globulin (HBIG) and lamivudine were not used at any time. We compared the 10-year outcomes of patients who had HBsAg(+) prior to KT and received kidneys from HBsAg(-) donors (Group 2). The endpoint was patient survival determined by Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazard methods. A total of 41 patients were transplanted from 1991-1997. There were 14 Group 1 patients and 27 Group 2 patients. Anti-HBsAb titer ranged from 10 to >1000 mIU/mL. Actuarial 10-year patient survivals were 92.8% and 62.5% for Group 1 and Group 2. Only 1 patient in Group 1 died; this case was due to an acute myocardial infarction. Eleven deaths occurred among Group 2; they were due to chronic active hepatitis (n = 5), hepatoma (n = 3), acute fibrosing cholestatic hepatitis (n = 1), and stroke (n = 2). More than 2 times elevated ALT occurred among 45% of Group 2 but none in Group 1. No patients in Group 1 had positive HBsAg and HBV DNA at last follow-up. Four patients in Group 2 displayed seroconversion to positive HBeAg after KT. Secondary analysis examining the impact of KT on patient life expectancy (from the start of dialysis until last follow-up) used Cox regression, revealing that KT was significantly associated with an increased risk for death within 12 months after transplantation (RR = 30, P = .005) but a decreased risk for death thereafter (RR = .03, P = .005) for Group 2. However, KT did not have significant impact on the risk for death within the first year for Group 1 (P = .61). Our results showed that the 10-year survival of KT from HBsAg(+) donors to recipients with anti-HBsAb(+) was good. This was not associated with evidence of active liver disease. The presence of HBsAg(+) in donors thus should not be considered an exclusion for kidney donation for anti-HBsAb(+) recipients.