Can HIV+ donate organs if UD?

[Boze]

Saw this news story http://www2.counton2.com/cbd/news/national/article/florida_woman_receives_transplanted_kidney_infected_with_hiv/139985/

and I wonder - is it possible to donate a kidney if you are HIV+ but UD? In this story the donor did not realize he was HIV+ so clearly he was not on ARV. I guess the issue is whether

1) blood is also moved during operation
2) hiv can hide inside the donated organ

[Matty the Damned]

No. HIV positive people are not permitted to donate organs for transplant.

MtD

[Ann]

Whoa, that shouldn't be happening in this day and age. I predict a huge payout from the doctors and lab involved. Sheesh.

[Boze]

mtd,

It's the policy, but what is the motivation behind it? I'm wondering what the actual RISK is if one is UD.

[Hellraiser]

mtd,

It's the policy, but what is the motivation behind it? I'm wondering what the actual RISK is if one is UD.

Even if you are UD the virus is still present in your body.  UD means it's under a certan threshold in your blood.  No matter how low you get the virus in your body it will always be present as a result if you ever give blood product or organs to someone who is uninfected you will infect them.

I'm a little surprised you didn't know this.

[Boze]

"No matter how low you get the virus in your body it will always be present as a result if you ever give blood product or organs to someone who is uninfected you will infect them."

I thought the virus is 'hiding' in certain body parts (like lymph nodes and bone marrow?) when you are UD. Is it present in a kidney or the eye?

[Hellraiser]

"No matter how low you get the virus in your body it will always be present as a result if you ever give blood product or organs to someone who is uninfected you will infect them."

I thought the virus is 'hiding' in certain body parts (like lymph nodes and bone marrow?) when you are UD. Is it present in a kidney or the eye?

The answer is we're not exactly sure.  However your blood is harboring the virus and your blood flows to every inch of your body.

[Ann]

I thought the virus is 'hiding' in certain body parts (like lymph nodes and bone marrow?) when you are UD. Is it present in a kidney or the eye?

It will be in the blood and lymph vessels present in any organ of the body. Lymph nodes are just one part of the lymphatic system. Just because a person is undetectable on a VL test doesn't mean the virus is absent from the blood or body.

[RapidRod]

For those that are positive and want to donate.

National Disease Research Interchange
http://www.ndriresource.org/NDRI_Initiatives/HIV/35/

[Ann]

Actually, I've kinda wondered why organs can't be donated from one poz person to another poz person, provided the donor doesn't have any resistance issues. You could even match clades. Donors have to be checked on many accounts for compatibility, this would just mean a few more things that would have to match.

With the waiting lists for organs being what they are, and with more and more PLWH are being accepted as potential organ recipients, I would think this would be an option to increase the chance of PLWH to receive an organ.

For those that are positive and want to donate.

National Disease Research Interchange
http://www.ndriresource.org/NDRI_Initiatives/HIV/35/

This isn't organ donation in the sense of giving someone a kidney, it's purely for research. Just wanted to point that out.

[RapidRod]

Actually, I've kinda wondered why organs can't be donated from one poz person to another poz person, provided the donor doesn't have any resistance issues. You could even match clades. Donors have to be checked on many accounts for compatibility, this would just mean a few more things that would have to match.

With the waiting lists for organs being what they are, and with more and more PLWH are being accepted as potential organ recipients, I would think this would be an option to increase the chance of PLWH to receive an organ.



This isn't organ donation in the sense of giving someone a kidney, it's purely for research. Just wanted to point that out.

No, it's for people that would like to donate but are unable to because of being HIV positive and would like to help further research.

[Ann]

 No, it's for people that would like to donate but are unable to because of being HIV positive and would like to help further research.

Well, that's kinda what I just said. I pointed out it was donation for research, not donation to give someone a new liver or kidney or other organ.

[RapidRod]

Well, that's kinda what I just said. I pointed out it was donation for research, not donation to give someone a new liver or kidney or other organ.

You can donate organs if you are HIV positive to other HIV positive in Ill..
http://www.illinois.gov/pressreleases/ShowPressRelease.cfm?SubjectID=3&RecNum=3216

[OneTampa]

This question intrigues me. Especially when looking at the matter from another angle--HIV positive pregnant women who deliver HIV negative babies.  I know that there are medical interventions that can greatly reduce HIV transmission from an HIV positive pregnant woman to her child up to birth. Although one would not consider an unborn child  an organ, isn't  s/he part of the mother's body and all that entails?

Am I mixing apples and oranges?

[Hellraiser]

This question intrigues me. Especially when looking at the matter from another angle--HIV positive pregnant women who deliver HIV negative babies.  I know that there are medical interventions that can greatly reduce HIV transmission from an HIV positive pregnant woman to her child up to birth. Although one would not consider an unborn child  an organ, isn't  s/he part of the mother's body and all that entails?

Am I mixing apples and oranges?

I was actually unaware that hiv+ mothers could give birth to hiv- babies until I started reading these forums.  I have no idea what the mechanism is that protects the baby.  Trying to look for the answer online briefly gave me no answers.

Ann I too wondered what prevented pozzie to pozzie organ donation.  It makes the question of reinfection a lot more relevant too.

[OneTampa]

Here are several sources that speak to studies that document the reduced HIV perinatal transmission to the child from an HIV positive pregnant woman.


http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/perinatal/resources/factsheets/perinatal.htm

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5251a1.htm

http://health.nv.gov/PDFs/HIV_STD_TB
/Special%20Report%20on%20Children%20Born%20to%20HIV%20Positive%20Mothers%20in.pdf

http://www.hiv.va.gov/vahiv?page=ptfaq-2007-01-23

http://www.aidsmap.com/en/news/ADF39145-193B-4C48-9982-9061793E2F32.asp

http://www.plannedparenthood.org/teen-talk/ask/safer-sex-std/hiv-aids/can-an-hiv-positive-mother-give-birth-an-hiv-negative-baby-25635.htm

http://www.avert.org/pregnancy.htm

http://www.americanpregnancy.org/pregnancycomplications/hivaids.html