title: Safety of anti-hepatitis B core antibody-positive donors for living-donor liver transplantation.
abstract: Serologic evidence of resolved hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection (HBV surface antigen negative, anti-HBV core antibody [HBc] positive) in a liver donor can be regarded as an occult infection with episomal HBV in the liver. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety of anti-HBc-positive living donors. Between March 2001 and January 2002, 127 donors underwent hepatectomy for living-donor liver transplantation at Asan Medical Center. They were classified as members of an anti-HBc-positive group (n=50) or an anti-HBc-negative group (n=77). The two groups were subdivided into right lobectomy (n=86) and left lobectomy (n=34) groups to compare operative risk. Perioperative clinical profiles were compared by anti-HBc status and extent of donor hepatectomy. There were no statistical differences of preoperative liver function and liver steatosis between the anti-HBc-positive and anti-HBc-negative groups. Operation time and blood loss did not show any differences between the hepatectomy-matched anti-HBc-positive and anti-HBc-negative groups. Postoperative recovery of liver function, incidence of complication, and regeneration rate of the remnant liver after right lobectomy also did not show significant differences. The anti-HBc-positive group did not exhibit any adverse preoperative, intraoperative, or postoperative outcomes compared with the anti-HBc-negative group. This indicates that anti-HBc-positive donors can be assessed to have the same degree of risk for donor operation as anti-HBc-negative donors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Asan Medical Center, Ulsan University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Shin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Deok-Bog
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Moon
authors.forename: Sung-Gyu
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Kwang-Min
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Ki-Hun
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Chul-Soo
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.forename: Young-Joo
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Chong-Woo
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.forename: Hyun-Seong
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Sung-Hun
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Ki-Bong
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: Tae-Yong
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Ha
authors.forename: Pyung-Chul
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Min
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D006498:Hepatectomy / Q000379:methods; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000276:immunology* / Q000379:methods; D019520:Living Donors; D008875:Middle Aged; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012449:Safety
chemical_list: D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens