Tomokazu Kawaoka1, Shoichi Takahashi1, Yoshiiku Kawakami1, Masataka Tsuge1, Akira Hiramatsu1, Michio Imamura1, Hideyuki Hyogo1, Hiroshi Aikata1, Kohei Ishiyama2, Hirotaka Tashiro2, Hideki Ohdan2, Junko Tanaka3, Kazuaki Chayama1. 1. Department of Gastroenterology and Metabolism, Division of Frontier Medical Science, Programs for Biomedical Research, Graduate School of Biomedical Science, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan. 2. Department of Surgery, Division of Frontier Medical Science, Programs for Biomedical Research, Graduate School of Biomedical Science, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan. 3. Department of Epidemiology, Infectious Disease Control and Prevention, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan.
Abstract
AIM: Previous European and North American studies analyzed the relationship between survival rate and sustained virological response (SVR) to interferon (IFN) therapy in patients with recurrent hepatitis C viral (HCV) infection after liver transplantation (LT). The present study was designed to define the same relationship in Japanese patients who had undergone LT. METHODS: Forty-seven patients (genotype 1, 40; genotype 2, 7) with recurrent HCV after LT were treated with pegylated interferon (PEG IFN) or IFN/ribavirin (RBV). In possible, within 3 months after LT, patients started treatment with PEG IFN-α-2b or IFN-α-2b s.c. once weekly combined with RBV (200 mg/day). RESULTS: The SVR rate was 51% (24/47) for all patients, 42.5% (17/40) for genotype 1 and 100% (7/7) for genotype 2. The median follow-up period was 71 months (range, 24-152). The survival rate of 24 patients who achieved SVR was 95% at 5 years and 92% at 10 years. These rates were significantly better than those of 23 patients who did not achieve SVR (82% at 5 years, 58% at 10 years) (P = 0.027). Two patients of the SVR group died during follow up (due to hepatocellular carcinoma in one and chronic rejection in one), while six non-SVR patients died during the same period (three died due to liver failure by recurrent HCV). CONCLUSION: SVR following IFN therapy contributes to improvement of survival rate in patients with recurrent post-LT HCV infection.
AIM: Previous European and North American studies analyzed the relationship between survival rate and sustained virological response (SVR) to interferon (IFN) therapy in patients with recurrent hepatitis C viral (HCV) infection after liver transplantation (LT). The present study was designed to define the same relationship in Japanese patients who had undergone LT. METHODS: Forty-seven patients (genotype 1, 40; genotype 2, 7) with recurrent HCV after LT were treated with pegylated interferon (PEG IFN) or IFN/ribavirin (RBV). In possible, within 3 months after LT, patients started treatment with PEG IFN-α-2b or IFN-α-2b s.c. once weekly combined with RBV (200 mg/day). RESULTS: The SVR rate was 51% (24/47) for all patients, 42.5% (17/40) for genotype 1 and 100% (7/7) for genotype 2. The median follow-up period was 71 months (range, 24-152). The survival rate of 24 patients who achieved SVR was 95% at 5 years and 92% at 10 years. These rates were significantly better than those of 23 patients who did not achieve SVR (82% at 5 years, 58% at 10 years) (P = 0.027). Two patients of the SVR group died during follow up (due to hepatocellular carcinoma in one and chronic rejection in one), while six non-SVR patients died during the same period (three died due to liver failure by recurrent HCV). CONCLUSION: SVR following IFN therapy contributes to improvement of survival rate in patients with recurrent post-LT HCV infection.
Authors: L P Zanaga; A G Vigani; R N Angerami; A Giorgetti; C A F Escanhoela; E C Ataíde; I F S F Boin; R S B Stucchi Journal: Braz J Med Biol Res Date: 2017-01-09 Impact factor: 2.590