Harmful effects of viral replication in seropositive hepatitis C virus renal transplant recipients.

Background: Seropositivity for hepatitis C virus (HCV) predicts lower patient and graft survival after renal transplantation (RT). However, the influence of viral replication at transplantation on long-term outcome remains to be determined.

Methods: This was a retrospective study conducted in four Spanish hospitals, from 1997 to 2006.