Using hearts from donors with active hepatitis C (HCV NAT+) for transplantation

Nationwide Hepatitis C NAT+ Cardiac Transplant Experience

Observational Baylor Research Institute · NCT04493385

This tests whether receiving a heart from a donor with active hepatitis C (HCV NAT+) is safe and leads to acceptable outcomes for people having a heart transplant.

Quick facts

Study typeObservational
Enrollment500 (estimated)
Ages18 Years and up
SexAll
SponsorBaylor Research Institute Academic / other
Locations1 site (Dallas, Texas)
Trial IDNCT04493385 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

This is an observational registry of patients who received proven HCV NAT+ donor hearts, including re-transplant recipients, with multi-organ transplants excluded. The study will collect clinical safety and outcome data such as survival, coronary allograft vasculopathy, and antiviral treatment use following transplantation. It builds on the availability of nucleic-acid testing (NAT) for donors and the widespread use of well-tolerated direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) to treat donor-derived HCV. Data will be analyzed to see whether current practices using HCV NAT+ donor hearts produce acceptable short- and medium-term outcomes.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Ideal candidates are people who received a proven HCV NAT+ donor heart, including those undergoing re-transplantation, and who are treated at the enrolling center.

Not a fit: Patients who do not receive an HCV NAT+ donor heart or who are undergoing planned multi-organ transplantation would not be eligible and therefore would not benefit from this study.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this could expand the pool of available donor hearts and allow more patients to receive timely transplants with comparable safety.

How similar studies have performed: Other centers and recent clinical reports have shown that using DAAs to treat donor-derived HCV after thoracic transplantation can be effective, and clinical safety efforts are underway nationally.

Eligibility criteria

Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria:

1. Recipient of a proven HCV NAT+ donor heart.
2. Re-transplant patients will be included.

Exclusion Criteria:

1\. Multi-organ transplantation

Where this trial is running

Dallas, Texas

Study contacts

How to participate

  1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
  2. Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
  3. Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.
Conditions TransplantFailure, HeartHepatitis C
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.