Comparison of Clinical Outcomes in Hepatitis B Virus–Positive and –Negative Renal Transplant Recipients

Our aim was to compare the short- and long-term clinical outcomes of hepatitis B surface antigen–positive (HbsAg+) renal transplant recipients with HbsAg− recipients. A total of 204 patients who underwent renal transplantation in our center between 2001 and 2014 were included in the study. The patients were divided into 2 groups. Group 1 was the HbsAg− group (n = 136), and group 2 was the HbsAg+ group (n = 68). There was no significant difference between the groups in terms of lymphocyte crossmatches, numbers of mismatches, immunosuppressive treatment protocols, and induction treatments. In the HbsAg+ group, 51 patients were hepatitis B virus DNA+, 64 patients were HbeAg−, and 4 patients were HbeAg+. A total of 57 patients (83.8%) were treated with lamivudine, 4 patients (5.9%) with entecavir, and 7 patients (10.3%) with tenofovir for hepatitis B infection. Graft and patient survival rates, graft functions, acute hepatitis rates, acute rejection rates, and other clinical outcomes of the groups were compared. Demographic data and immunologic risk profiles of the groups were similar. Acute rejection rates, graft survival rates, and patient survival rates were similar. Acute hepatitis rates, glomerular filtration rates on the last controls, and delayed graft function rates were higher in group 2, whereas chronic allograft dysfunction and new-onset diabetes mellitus after transplantation rates were similar between the groups. Our study revealed that graft and patient survival, and acute rejection rates were similar between HbsAg+ and HbsAg− recipients, whereas acute hepatitis rate was higher in HbsAg+ recipients.