Hepatitis C virus reinfection in orthotopic liver transplant patients with or without concomitant hepatitis B infection.

TitleHepatitis C virus reinfection in orthotopic liver transplant patients with or without concomitant hepatitis B infection.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication1996
AuthorsLoda M, Fiorentino M, Meckler J, Khettry U, Lewis D, Washburn K, Jenkins R, Mendoza AE, Samuelson J
JournalDiagn Mol Pathol
Volume5
Issue2
Pagination81-7
Date Published1996 Jun
ISSN1052-9551
KeywordsBase Sequence, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Humans, Liver, Liver Function Tests, Liver Transplantation, Molecular Sequence Data, Polymerase Chain Reaction, Recurrence
Abstract

Although recurrence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in orthotopic liver transplant (OLT) patients is frequent, the relationship between HCV recurrence and graft pathology, particularly in patients who also have a history of hepatitis B virus (HBV), is unclear. The recurrence of HCV after OLT was determined by reverse transcriptase-nested polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in the sera and livers of 41 patients with OLT, 32 of whom underwent transplants for HCV or HBV-related disease. Results were compared with liver function tests, liver histology (including HBV immunohistochemistry), and antibody status. HCV PCR was more frequently positive in OLT patients with a history of HCV only (59%) than in those with a history of both HCV and HBV (41%) or no history of viral infection (2%). Recurrent HCV (60% overall) was associated with mild elevation of liver function tests and mild to moderate hepatitis. In patients who underwent transplants for both HCV and HBV disease, hepatitis on biopsy was more frequently associated with recurrent HBV than with recurrent HCV. We conclude that graft reinfection with HCV, which is frequent in OLT patients with or without HBV recurrence, is usually associated with only mild to moderate hepatitic changes compatible with graft survival.

DOI10.1097/00019606-199606000-00002
Alternate JournalDiagn Mol Pathol
PubMed ID8727094
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Massimo Loda, M.D.

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