Hepatitis C virus genotypes and quantitation of serum hepatitis C virus RNA in liver transplant recipients: relationship with severity of histological recurrence and implications in the pathogenesis of HCV infection.

The reasons for the wide variation of incidence and severity of recurrent hepatitis C after liver transplantation are not clear. We have studied liver transplant recipients to assess the impact of hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype and HCV RNA quantification on HCV recurrence after transplantation. Twenty-two patients received transplants for HCV cirrhosis and were followed up with virological and histological assessments. Mean follow-up was 39 months. HCV genotype was determined with line probe assay (Inno-Lipa). HCV RNA quantity was determined in serum samples by use of polymerase chain reaction nested assay. HCV genotype 1 was detected in 13 patients and other genotypes in 9. Histological recurrence rates were 69% in patients with genotype 1 and 66% in patients with other genotypes. All cases of severe histological injury (chronic active hepatitis or cirrhosis) were observed in patients with genotype 1. HCV RNA quantity was significantly higher in patients with genotype 1 (mean, 2.023 x 10(3) copies/mL) than in patients with other genotypes (mean, 27,403 copies/mL). In conclusion, the severity of histological recurrence after liver transplantation for HCV disease was higher in patients infected by HCV genotype 1 than in those infected with other genotypes. The levels of viral replication were higher in patients with HCV genotype 1 than in those with other genotypes.