Interferon-alpha therapy in liver transplant recipients: lack of association with increased production of anti-HLA antibodies.
Interferon-alpha (IFN) is a useful treatment for active HCV infection. In kidney transplantation, IFN has been shown to trigger acute rejection with de novo anti-HLA antibodies. Interferon-alpha has not been reported to enhance the risk of acute rejection in HCV-positive liver transplant recipients (LTRs). Sera were collected from 44 LTRs greater than 6 months post-transplant. Sera were tested with ELISA for the presence and the specificity of anti-HLA antibodies. The prevalence of anti-HLA antibodies was 11% and was not significantly different in 13 HCV-positive recipients who received IFN, compared with 10 who did not receive IFN (8% vs. 20%), or with 21 HCV-negative recipients (10%). None of the patients had an acute rejection after starting IFN. In this study, LTRs receiving IFN did not have an increased frequency of anti-HLA antibodies. This may partially explain the safety of IFN previously reported in LTRs requiring antiviral therapy.
Cardarelli
Francesca
F
Renal and Transplantation Units, Departments of Medicine and Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. francesca.cardarelli@libero.it
Pascual
Manuel
M
Chung
Raymond T
RT
Tolkoff-Rubin
Nina
N
Wong
Waichi
W
Cosimi
A Benedict
AB
Saidman
Susan L
SL
D000906:Antibodies; D001706:Biopsy; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006084:Graft Rejection; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007372:Interferons / Q000378:metabolism; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013997:Time Factors; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous
D000906:Antibodies; D006680:HLA Antigens; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D007372:Interferons