Incidence and clinical relevance of recurrent hepatitis C infection after orthotopic liver transplantation.
From September 1988 to November 1992 318 liver transplants were performed at our hospital. Of these patients 68 had end-stage cirrhosis due to non-A, non-B, hepatitis, 44 of whom (64.7%) had hepatitis C virus RNA in the serum. Of this subgroup 35 patients (79.5%) were also anti-HCV positive. Postoperatively most recipients remained anti-HCV positive and after 1 year more than 90% had HCV RNA in the serum. About 40% developed a mild, chronic hepatitis and 50% were carriers of HCV without histopathological signs. Two patients suffered from a temporary severe acute hepatitis and one patient had a fulminant liver failure due to reinfection. In general, in liver recipients transplanted for end-stage HCV hepatitis there was a high incidence of reinfection with HCV. The clinical course, however, was less severe than in hepatitis B recurrence.
Department of Surgery, University Hospital Rudolf Virchow, Free University of Berlin, Germany.
M
M
Knoop
R
R
Lüsebrink
J M
JM
Langrehr
V
V
König
T
T
Berg
A
A
Wedell
U
U
Hopf
P
P
Neuhaus
D002353:Carrier State; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors
D012367:RNA, Viral