Amantadine therapy in renal transplant patients with hepatitis C virus infection.
BACKGROUND
To date, there is no safe and efficient treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection after renal transplantation. Recently, there were encouraging reports after using amantadine in HCV-positive immunocompetent patients.


OBJECTIVE
In an open pilot study, we evaluated the efficacy and the safety of amantadine monotherapy in 8 HCV positive renal-transplant patients with chronic active hepatitis and increased alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels.


RESULTS
After 6 months of amantadine therapy (200 mg per day), there were no decrease in HCV viremia (5.87 +/- 0.37 log copies/ml at M6 versus 5.71 +/- 0.5 log copies/ml at baseline; P > 0.05). However, we found a significant decrease in ALT activity (71 +/- 17 IU/l at M6 versus 100 +/- 9 IU/l at baseline; P = 0.04), whereas the decrease in aspartate aminotransferase activity did not reach statistical significance. There were no significant changes in liver histology. The clinical and biological tolerance was very good. Finally, there were a significant decrease in cyclosporine A whole blood trough levels during therapy.


CONCLUSIONS
Our study is the first one to demonstrate that amantadine monotherapy lack of efficacy in HCV renal-transplant patients. It is able to improve liver enzymes but it has no impact neither upon HCV viremia nor upon liver histology.
Kamar
Nassim
N
Department of Nephrology, Dialysis and Transplantation, CHU Toulouse-Rangueil, TSA 50032, 31059 Toulouse Cedex 9, France. kamar.n@chu-toulouse.fr
Rostaing
Lionel
L
Sandres-Saune
Karine
K
Ribes
David
D
Durand
Dominique
D
Izopet
Jacques
J
D000328:Adult; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000547:Amantadine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D016572:Cyclosporine / Q000097:blood; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D019562:Viral Load; D014766:Viremia
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D012367:RNA, Viral; D016572:Cyclosporine; D000547:Amantadine; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase