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    Clin Transplant. 2009 Feb 20. [Epub ahead of print]

    Response to antiviral therapy in liver transplant recipients with recurrent hepatitis C viral infection: a single center experience.

    Jain A, Sharma R, Ryan C, Safadjou S, Kashyap R, Mantry P, Maliakkal B, Orloff M.

    Department of Surgery, Division of Solid Organ Transplantation, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA.

    Introduction: Recurrence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in hepatic allograft is a major concern after successful liver transplant (LTx). Aim: To examine the response rate to pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN) and ribavirin in post-LTx patients with HCV recurrence. Patients and methods: Between January 2003 and September 2006, 60 patients with biopsy proven HCV recurrence (46 males and 14 females) received PEG-IFN 2a (n = 40) or IFN 2b (n = 20) with ribavirin. All patients were followed until July 2007. Results: Fourteen patients (23.3%) tolerated antiviral therapy for less than six months and 10 (16.7%) discontinued therapy between six and 11 months. PEG-IFN dose was reduced in 21 (35%) patients and ribavirin dose was reduced in 16 (26.7%) patients. Overall, 55% patients achieved end of treatment response (EOT) and 35% sustained virological response (SVR). Mean Hepatitis Activity Index and Fibrosis Score pre-therapy was 5.8 +/- 1.9 and 1.7 +/- 1.3 and post-therapy, it was 4.4 +/- 2.1 and 2.4 +/- 1.6, respectively. Overall, three yr patient and graft survival was 73.9% and 69.2%, respectively. The patients with SVR had significantly lower viral load compared with other groups (p = 0.028). Conclusion: PEG-IFN and ribavirin therapy achieved 55% EOT and 35% SVR; 60% patients tolerated therapy. Biochemical response was observed in all groups of patients irrespective of virological response.

    PMID: 19239480 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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    Patient drug information

    • Ribavirin (Copegus®, Rebetol®)

      Ribavirin is used with another medication called an interferon to treat hepatitis C. Ribavirin is in a class of antiviral medications called nucleoside analogues. It works by stopping the virus that causes hepatitis C fr...