A new study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine has found that a two-week direct-acting antiviral (DAA) prophylaxis can prevent hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in individuals who receive a kidney transplant from donors with HCV viremia. The study, conducted by researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, involved 10 patients who received the DAA prophylaxis before and after their kidney transplant. The results showed that two recipients had undetectable HCV RNA throughout the study period, while the remaining eight had low-level HCV viremia that resolved by the 12-week follow-up. No rejection events or deaths occurred during the study. The findings suggest that a two-week DAA prophylaxis is an effective strategy for preventing HCV infection in this patient population. Further research is needed to validate these results and determine the long-term outcomes of this approach.
SOURCE: Annals of Internal Medicine
