Prevalence of Hepatitis C Virus RNA in Organ Donors Positive for Hepatitis C Antibody and in the Recipients of Their Organs

There is a high prevalence of liver disease among the recipients of organs from donors with antibodies to hepatitis C virus (HCV). We undertook a study to determine the frequency of persistent HCV infection, as indicated by the presence of HCV RNA, among both cadaveric organ donors positive for antibodies to HCV (anti-HCV) and the recipients of organs from these donors.