BACKGROUND: The recurrence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) after liver transplantation (OLT) leads to recurrent cirrhosis in up to 40% of patients. AIMS: To identify patients who profit the most from antiviral therapy and to delineate whether early treatment after OLT is effective to reach sustained virological response (SVR), we analyzed factors associated to SVR during pegylated interferon/ribavirin (PegIFN/RBV) therapy. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of efficiency and viral decline kinetics in 83 HCV-infected liver transplant recipients who received therapy with PegIFN/RBV was carried out. RESULTS: Forty-one of 83 (49.4%) patients became HCV RNA-negative. SVR was achieved in 26/83 (31.3%) patients. Viral decline of at least 2 log 10 (n = 47) at week 12 was significantly associated with an end-of-treatment (EOT) response. Eleven early viral response patients were not able to clear HCV RNA, whereas five patients without a 2 log decline achieved SVR. The highest predictive value for SVR was an undetectable viremia at week 24 (92%). CONCLUSIONS: The outcome of antiviral combination therapy for HCV reinfection after OLT can be best predicted by week-24 virologic response. The high SVR rates in patients with detectable HCV RNA at week 12 might suggest a prolonged treatment protocol in liver transplant recipients.
BACKGROUND: The recurrence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) after liver transplantation (OLT) leads to recurrent cirrhosis in up to 40% of patients. AIMS: To identify patients who profit the most from antiviral therapy and to delineate whether early treatment after OLT is effective to reach sustained virological response (SVR), we analyzed factors associated to SVR during pegylated interferon/ribavirin (PegIFN/RBV) therapy. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of efficiency and viral decline kinetics in 83 HCV-infected liver transplant recipients who received therapy with PegIFN/RBV was carried out. RESULTS: Forty-one of 83 (49.4%) patients became HCV RNA-negative. SVR was achieved in 26/83 (31.3%) patients. Viral decline of at least 2 log 10 (n = 47) at week 12 was significantly associated with an end-of-treatment (EOT) response. Eleven early viral response patients were not able to clear HCV RNA, whereas five patients without a 2 log decline achieved SVR. The highest predictive value for SVR was an undetectable viremia at week 24 (92%). CONCLUSIONS: The outcome of antiviral combination therapy for HCV reinfection after OLT can be best predicted by week-24 virologic response. The high SVR rates in patients with detectable HCV RNA at week 12 might suggest a prolonged treatment protocol in liver transplant recipients.
Authors: A B Alberti; L S Belli; A Airoldi; L de Carlis; G Rondinara; E Minola; M Vangeli; A Cernuschi; M D'Amico; D Forti; G Pinzello Journal: Liver Transpl Date: 2001-10 Impact factor: 5.799
Authors: R M Ghobrial; D G Farmer; A Baquerizo; S Colquhoun; H R Rosen; H Yersiz; J F Markmann; K E Drazan; C Holt; D Imagawa; L I Goldstein; P Martin; R W Busuttil Journal: Ann Surg Date: 1999-06 Impact factor: 12.969
Authors: M Biselli; P Andreone; A Gramenzi; S Lorenzini; E Loggi; F Bonvicini; C Cursaro; M Bernardi Journal: Dig Liver Dis Date: 2005-11-28 Impact factor: 4.088
Authors: E Oton; R Barcena; J M Moreno-Planas; V Cuervas-Mons; A Moreno-Zamora; C Barrios; S Garcia-Garzon; A Moreno; E Boullosa-Graña; E E Rubio-Gonzalez; M Garcia-Gonzalez; C Blesa; M L Mateos Journal: Am J Transplant Date: 2006-07-26 Impact factor: 8.086
Authors: Didier Samuel; Thierry Bizollon; Cyrille Feray; Bruno Roche; Si Nafa Si Ahmed; Catherine Lemonnier; Marielle Cohard; Michel Reynes; Michelle Chevallier; Christian Ducerf; Jacques Baulieux; Michael Geffner; Janice K Albrecht; Henri Bismuth; Christian Trepo Journal: Gastroenterology Date: 2003-03 Impact factor: 22.682
Authors: E J Gane; B C Portmann; N V Naoumov; H M Smith; J A Underhill; P T Donaldson; G Maertens; R Williams Journal: N Engl J Med Date: 1996-03-28 Impact factor: 91.245