Long-term follow-up of liver transplanted HIV/hepatitis B virus coinfected patients: perfect control of hepatitis B virus replication and absence of mitochondrial toxicity.

BACKGROUND: In patients coinfected with hepatitis B virus (HBV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), evolution toward cirrhosis and its complications is more rapid and severe than in patients infected with HBV alone. The outcome of liver transplantation in HBV-HIV-coinfected patients is poorly understood in terms of survival rate, HBV reactivation and mitochondrial toxicity on the liver graft. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between November 2002 and June 2007, 13 HIV-positive patients underwent liver transplantation because of end-stage liver disease due to HBV with or without coinfection with hepatitis D or C virus. These patients were prospectively followed for an average of 32 +/- 5.2 months (range 10-63 months).
RESULTS: All patients were alive at the end of the follow-up period and had normal liver function. Their HBV viral load was undetectable, no cccDNA was found in the liver graft and HIV infection was nonprogressive under antiretroviral therapy. Moreover, no mitochondrial toxicity was noted in the liver graft, as assessed by the spectrophotometric analysis of respiratory chain activities and by quantifying the mitochondrial DNA copy number.
CONCLUSION: HBV-HIV-coinfected patients can successfully undergo liver transplantation with excellent results in terms of survival, control of HBV replication after transplantation and mitochondrial toxicity.