[Efficacy of the association of a single dose of hepatitis B hyperimmune gammaglobulin and entecavir in the prophylaxis of hepatitis B after liver transplantation: experience of a single center in Argentina].

The present study reports the effectiveness of the association of a single dose of hepatitis B immunoglobulin (HBIg) associated to entecavir in the prophylaxis of hepatitis B in patients who have undergone liver transplantation. Six patients that had been transplanted because of hepatitis B liver disease were retrospectively evaluated. Three of them developed non-oncological complications related to liver cirrhosis, two had hepatocellular carcinoma and another one had fulminant HBV hepatitis. The mean follow-up was 22 months (range: 7-52 months). The 6 patients received entecavir as prophylactic treatment before transplantation. The pretransplant viral load was undetectable in all patients. HBsAg seroconversion was observed in four of the six patients. Three patients died during follow-up, two because of recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma, none of them had detectable HBV serum viral load. In a small series of patients we could demonstrate that a regimen with a single dose of gamma globulin entecavir is effective in the post-transplant management of patients with liver disease associated with HBV. Future studies will be able to demonstrate the effectiveness of specific gamma globulin-free regimens.