Sustained virological response to antiviral therapy reduces mortality in HCV reinfection after liver transplantation

BACKGROUND/AIMS: HCV infection recurs almost in all HCV-positive patients receiving liver transplantation and carries a poor prognosis. Aim of this study was to analyze efficacy and effect on survival of antiviral therapy in this clinical setting. METHODS: Pegylated-interferon alpha-2b and ribavirin were administered at a dose of 1 microg/kg of bwt weekly and 600-800 mg/day. Planned duration of treatment was 24 or 48 weeks according to HCV genotype. Patients who failed to respond at week 24 were considered as non-responders. RESULTS: 61 patients were enrolled. According to intention-to-treat analysis, 44 (72%) patients were considered as treatment failure (31 non-responders, 4 relapsers, 9 dropout). Sustained virological response was achieved in 17 cases (28%). Genotype 2, higher doses of antivirals and absence of histological cirrhosis were predictors of sustained virological response. In the follow up, patients with sustained virological response had a significantly lower mortality compared to patients with treatment failure (chi2=6.9; P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Response rate to antiviral therapy in HCV reinfection after liver transplantation is higher if a full dose of antiviral drugs is administered and if treatment starts before histological cirrhosis has developed. Sustained virological response improves patient survival.     

Initial steroid-free immunosuppression after liver transplantation in recipients with hepatitis C virus related cirrhosis

AIM: Steroids can increase hepatitis C virus (HCV) replication. After liver transplantation (LTx), steroids are commonly used for immunosuppression and acute rejection is usually treated by high steroid dosages. Steroids can worsen the outcome of recurrent HCV infection. Therefore,we evaluated the outcome of HCV infected liver recipients receiving initial steroid-free immunosuppression.METHODS: Thirty patients undergoing LTx received initial steroid-free immunosuppression. Indication for LTx included 7 patients with HCV related drrhosis. Initial immunosuppression consisted of tacrolimus 2x0.05 mg/kg.d po and mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) 2x15 mg/kg.d po. The tacrolimus dosage wasa djusted to trough levels in the target range of 10-15 μg/Ldudng the first 3 mo and 5-10 μg/L thereafter. Manifestations of acute rejection were verified histologically.RESULTS: Patient and graft survival of 30 patients receiving initial steroid-free immunosuppression was 86% and 83% at 1 and 2 years. Acute rejection occurred in 8/30 patients,including 1 HCV infected recipient. All HCV-infected patients had HCV genotype II (lb). HCV seropositivity occurred within the first 4 mo after LTx. The virus load was not remarkably increased during the first year after LTx. Histologically, grafts had no severe recurrent hepatitis.CONCLUSION: From our experience, initial steroid-free immunosuppression does not increase the risk of acute rejection in HCV infected liver recipients. Furthermore, none of the HCV infected patients developed serious chronic liver diseases. It suggests that it may be beneficial to avoid steroids in this particular group of patients after LTx.     

丙型肝炎病毒感染肝硬化患者肝移植前后抗病毒治疗

丙型肝炎病毒(HCV)相关肝脏疾病,尤其是在移植术前HCVRNA阳性的患者,移植术后HCV再感染的发生十分普遍,而且再感染一旦发生,肝脏损伤的进展较非移植患者明显增快.目前研究表明,移植术前HCVRNA阴性的患者移植术后发生HCV再感染的几率明显下降,移植术后发生HCV再感染后,有效的抗病毒治疗可阻止或延缓疾病的进展.本文就HCV感染肝硬化患者肝移植前后的抗病毒治疗作一综述.     

Immunosuppression and HCV recurrence after liver transplantation

HCV related liver disease is the most common indication for liver transplantation. Recurrence of HCV infection is universal and has a substantial impact on patient and graft survival. Immunosuppression is a major factor responsible for the accelerated recurrence and compressed natural history of recurrent HCV infection. Accumulating experience has provided data to support certain strategies for immunosuppressive regimens. From the available evidence, more severe recurrence results from repeated bolus corticosteroid therapy and anti-lymphocyte antibodies used to treat rejection. Low dose and slow tapering of steroids are better than high dose maintenance and/or rapid tapering. Recent meta-analyses favour steroid-free regimens but these are complicated to interpret as the absence of steroids may simply represent less immunopotency. There is no difference in HCV recurrence between tacrolimus and cyclosporine regimens, but tacrolimus increases graft and patient survival in HCV transplanted patients. There may be a beneficial effect of maintenance azathioprine given for 6 months or longer. There is no conclusive evidence for benefit of mycophenolate and interleukin-2 receptor blockers. Few data are available for mTOR inhibitors. Better evidence is needed to establish the optimal immunosuppressive regimen for HCV recipients and more randomized trials should be performed.     

HCV相关肝硬化患者肝移植术后的抗病毒与免疫调节治疗

HCV相关肝硬化发生肝功能失代偿后的最佳选择可能是肝移植。移植后免疫调节药物尤其是免疫抑制剂的应用可能是加速HCV复发的一个主要因素,如何在减轻移植排斥反应的同时兼顾HCV感染的控制是目前须要探讨的问题。总结了目前HCV相关肝移植术后的抗病毒及免疫调节治疗情况,分析表明,在HCV相关肝硬化肝移植术后进行合理的免疫抑制和抗病毒治疗对于预防HCV复发、延长移植物生存期、改善患者预后具有至关重要的作用,突然改变免疫抑制方案,如快速撤药或改变免疫抑制剂的剂量或类型都有可能导致HCV的复发,类固醇激素缓慢进行性减量和硫唑嘌呤维持治疗也许有益。     

Late-onset sarcoidosis after liver transplantation for primary biliary cirrhosis

Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) and systemic sarcoidosis are granulomatous diseases of unknown etiology whose hepatic manifestations may infrequently be imitative of one another. Described herein is the first reported case in the medical literature of systemic sarcoidosis developing after liver transplantation for PBC. The presented patient, who suffered from typical clinical, laboratory, and pathologic manifestations of PBC, developed decompensated liver cirrhosis within a course of 8 years, necessitating orthotopic liver transplantation. A year and a half after transplantation, the patient developed diffuse, biopsy-proven, dermatologic and pulmonary manifestations of systemic sarcoidosis, which promptly responded to corticosteroid treatment. In retrospect, the patient's longstanding liver disease was probably caused by an unrecognizable, isolated hepatic form of sarcoidosis or an overlap between PBC and sarcoidosis. This patient illustrates the complexity that may be rarely encountered in differentiating between PBC and hepatic sarcoidosis. Discussed are the clinical, laboratory, and pathologic overlaps between hepatic sarcoidosis and PBC, and clues that may aid in the diagnosis and differentiation between the 2 disorders. Hepatologists and liver transplantation specialists should be aware of the rare possibility of hepatic sarcoidosis imitating PBC, and exacerbating systemically after liver transplantation.     

直接作用抗病毒药物治疗丙型肝炎肝硬化和肝移植术后丙型肝炎复发的初步临床观察

目的观察直接作用抗病毒药物(direct-acting antiviral agents,DAAs)治疗丙型肝炎(丙肝)肝硬化和肝移植术后丙肝复发的安全性和临床效果。方法入组丙肝肝硬化7例(5例失代偿)和肝移植术后丙肝复发7例(移植后时间6~44个月,中位时间17个月),年龄26~69岁(中位年龄55岁),HCV RNA分型均为基因1b型,HCV RNA载量为6.90×104~4.34×107IU/ml。DAAs治疗方案为索菲布韦(sofosbuvir)+息米普韦(simeprevir)(3例)和harvoni(sofosbuvir+ledipasvir)(11例),疗程12周。治疗过程中观察HCV RNA、肝功能、安全性指标及不良反应。结果除1例肝移植术后患者4周时HCV RNA为5.60×10 IU/ml,其余患者均获快速病毒学应答,HCV RNA最快5 d低于检测值下限。所有患者均获得治疗结束时病毒学应答和持续病毒学应答,ALT和AST下降,ALB水平升高。移植术后患者他克莫司血药浓度未见明显变化。不良反应轻,主要为头痛(1例)、乏力(2例)和关节痛(1例)。结论 DAAs治疗丙肝肝硬化和肝移植术后丙肝复发安全性好,疗效肯定。对失代偿期丙肝肝硬化的远期疗效待观察。     

肝移植后的丙型肝炎复发及对策

丙型肝炎(丙肝)肝移植后大部分会出现丙肝复发,疾病进展快于移植前,并有特殊的发病机制.影响复发的因素有HCV基因型、病毒载量、供者和受者人白细胞抗原匹配情况、复发时间、供者年龄以及免疫抑制剂的使用情况等.移植前干扰素抗病毒治疗以取得病毒阴转为目标,2/3的患者移植后HCV RNA阴性;移植后丙肝复发可用长效干扰素┼利巴韦林抗病毒,但持续病毒学应答仅30.2%.特异性靶向抗HCV治疗可能为肝移植后丙肝治疗带来希望.     

Severe refractory pulmonary hypertension after liver transplantation for hepatitis C liver cirrhosis

BACKGROUND: We report the case of a 43-year-old male with liver cirrhosis based on a chronically active hepatitis C. CASE REPORT: Before liver transplantation right-ventricular pressure values of 36 mmHg (+ central venous pressure) were measured whereas, after transplantation, he developed severe pulmonary hypertension with pressure values up to 90 mmHg. These elevated pressure values correlated inversely with graft function. Given the diagnosis of portopulmonary hypertension, we initiated treatment with intravenous epoprostenol and inhalative iloprost but both treatments were not tolerated because of systemic side effects. A combined heart-lung transplantation was considered but the patient died from insufficient cardiac function. CONCLUSIONS: The case report discusses the present diagnostic and therapeutic state of the art in portopulmonary hypertension and reveals basic problems of the present screening strategy.     

Efficacy of immunosuppression monotherapy after liver transplantation: A meta-analysis

AIM: To assess the advantages and disadvantages of immunosuppression monotherapy after transplantation and the impact of monotherapy on hepatitis C virus (HCV) recurrence.METHODS: Articles from Cochrane Hepato-Biliary Group Controlled Trials Register, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials in The Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Science Citation Index Expanded, including non-English literature identified in these databases, were searched up to January 2013. We included randomized clinical trials comparing various immunosuppression monotherapy and prednisone-based immunosuppression combinations for liver transplantation. The modified Jadad scale score or the Oxford quality scoring system was used. Meta-analyses were performed with weighted random-effects models.RESULTS: A total of 14 randomized articles including 1814 patients were identified. Eight trials including 1214 patients compared tacrolimus monotherapy (n = 610) vs tacrolimus plus steroids or triple therapy regarding acute rejection and adverse events (n = 604). Five trials, including 285 patients, compared tacrolimus monotherapy (n = 143) vs tacrolimus plus steroids or triple therapy regarding hepatitis C recurrence (n = 142). Four trials including 273 patients compared cyclosporine monotherapy (n = 148) vs cyclosporine and steroids regarding acute rejection and adverse events (n = 125). Two trials including 170 patients compared mycophenolate mofetil monotherapy (n = 86) vs combinations regarding acute rejection (n = 84). There were no significant differences in the acute rejection rates between tacrolimus monotherapy (RR = 1.04, P = 0.620), and cyclosporine monotherapy (RR = 0.89, P = 0.770). Mycophenolate mofetil monotherapy had a significant increase in the acute rejection rate (RR = 4.50, P = 0.027). Tacrolimus monotherapy had no significant effects on the recurrence of hepatitis C (RR = 1.03, P = 0.752). More cytomegalovirus infection (RR = 0.48, P = 0.000) and drug-related diabetes mellitus (RR = 0.54, P = 0.000) were observed in the immunosuppression combination therapy groups.CONCLUSION: Tacrolimus and cyclosporine monotherapy may be as effective as immunosuppression combination therapy. Mycophenolate mofetil monotherapy was not considerable. Tacrolimus monotherapy does not increase recurrence of HCV.     

Longitudinal variation in hepatitis C virus (HCV) viraemia and early course of HCV infection after liver transplantation for HCV cirrhosis: the role of different immunosuppressive regimens

BACKGROUND: The role of the type of immunosuppression in the natural history of post-transplant hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is unclear. AIMS: To evaluate the fluctuation of HCV viraemia and the early course of infection, and their relation to the type of immunosuppression in HCV transplant patients. METHODS: In 47 HCV transplant patients, serum HCV RNA levels were determined pretransplant and at one and two weeks, and three and 12 months after transplant. Initial immunosuppression was triple (cyclosporin, azathioprine, prednisolone) in 31, double (cyclosporin, prednisolone) in five, and single (cyclosporin or tacrolimus) in 11 patients. Prednisolone was withdrawn at a median of six months. RESULTS: At three months, HCV RNA levels were higher in patients with single than with triple or double initial therapy. At 12 months, HCV RNA levels correlated only with duration of prednisolone treatment and were relatively higher in patients with triple compared with single initial immunosuppression. A higher necroinflammatory activity at 12 months post-transplant was found in patients with post-transplant acute hepatitis compared with those without. Extent of fibrosis at 12 months was associated with the 12 month HCV RNA level and occurrence of post-transplant acute hepatitis. CONCLUSIONS: HCV RNA levels at three months after transplant are higher in patients treated with single initial immunosuppressive therapy, but at 12 months are higher in patients with longer duration of steroid treatment. HCV viraemia at 12 months seems to be particularly important, as its levels are strongly correlated with the severity of fibrosis.     

Male hypogonadism in cirrhosis and after liver transplantation

Liver is deeply involved in the metabolism of proteins, hormones, enzymes, cytokines, as well as in sex hormones catabolism. Gonadal function requires a normal liver function, and it is well known that clinical signs of hypogonadism are common in patients with liver cirrhosis. Few studies have focused on hypothalamic- pituitary-gonadal alterations in male cirrhotic patients or after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). The pathogenesis of hypogonadism in cirrhotic patients is complex and not well explained. It involves both a gonadal and a hypothalamic- pituitary dysfunction. After OLT the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal function partially improves, showing that the hepatic dysfunction before OLT is deeply involved in its pathogenesis. After OLT some alterations persist in some patients, both because of pre-existing gonadal alterations (toxic-metabolic damage) and immunosuppressive pharmacological side effects. Further studies will explain the relationship between hypogonadism and OLT outcome, and the role of androgen therapy in hypogonadism after OLT, in the early months and in the long term.     

Overview of immunosuppression in liver transplantation

Continued advances in surgical techniques and immunosuppressive therapy have allowed liver transplantation to become an extremely successful treatment option for patients with end-stage liver disease. Beginning with the revolutionary discovery of cyclosporine in the 1970s, immunosuppressive regimens have evolved greatly and current statistics confirm one-year graft survival rates in excess of 80%. Immunosuppressive regimens include calcineurin inhibitors, anti-metabolites, mTOR inhibitors, steroids and antibody-based therapies. These agents target different sites in the T cell activation cascade, usually by inhibiting T cell activation or via T cell depletion. They are used as induction therapy in the immediate peri- and post-operative period, as long-term maintenance medications to preserve graft function and as salvage therapy for acute rejection in liver transplant recipients. This review will focus on existing immunosuppressive agents for liver transplantation and consider newer medications on the horizon.     

Recurrence of primary biliary cirrhosis after orthotopic liver transplantation

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The incidence of graft failure due to recurrence of primary biliary cirrhosis after liver transplantation and the clinical value of histological and serological parameters indicating a recurrence are still discussed controversially in the literature. METHODOLOGY: In a retrospective study 18 patients who had received orthotopic liver grafts for primary biliary cirrhosis were investigated for recurrence of disease. Histological findings, the appearance of primary biliary cirrhosis associated autoimmune diseases, the course of antimitochondrial antibodies, serological parameters of liver function and HLA status were evaluated. RESULTS: During a median follow-up period of 114 months, 6 of 18 patients developed a recurrence of primary biliary cirrhosis as indicated by liver biopsies, one patient developed clinical graft failure together with histological recurrence. Twelve patients developed autoimmune diseases. Antimitochondrial antibodies were present in all patients within a period of 12 months after transplantation. Serological parameters were elevated in 16 of 18 patients. Histological findings, serological parameters and associated diseases did not correlate with each other and with clinical symptoms of primary biliary cirrhosis recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: Graft failure due to recurrent disease can occur, but, despite a follow-up period of nearly 10 years, it is not possible to define predictive factors on the basis of histology or serology.