title: Severe clinical course of de novo hepatitis B infection after liver transplantation.
abstract: The aim of this study is to determine the origin, clinical outcome, allograft histological characteristics, and virological outcome of de novo hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). We studied 136 hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-negative liver transplant recipients. HBV DNA was detected by dot-blot hybridization and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The S gene was sequenced. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA was assessed by PCR. The long-term clinical and histological outcome was determined. Six of 136 HBsAg-negative patients (4.4%) became HBsAg positive after transplantation. The source of HBV infection was reactivation of latent HBV infection in 2 patients and was not identified in 4 patients. Two donors had isolated core antibody. Two of these 6 patients developed acute liver failure related to hepatitis B. The 4 other patients had severe chronic hepatitis related to hepatitis B. All patients had high-level HBV replication. No significant mutations in the S gene were found. These data suggest that de novo hepatitis B infection is not a mild disease and might represent a significant cause of graft dysfunction. This is the first report of fulminant hepatitis caused by de novo hepatitis B infection after OLT.
authors.affiliation: Gastroenterology and Hepatology Unit, University Hospital Marqués de Valdecilla, Faculty of Medicine, Santander, Spain.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Crespo
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fábrega
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Casafont
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rivero
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Heras
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: de la Peña
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: de la Cruz
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pons-Romero
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000821:virology*
chemical_list: D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens