title: Hepatitis B and liver transplantation.
abstract: Liver transplantation is the treatment of choice for patients with liver failure secondary to chronic hepatitis B. However, liver transplantation is complicated by the risk of recurrent hepatitis B virus infection, which significantly impairs graft and patient survival. The main risk factor for the development of recurrent hepatitis B virus infection is the virus load at the time of transplantation. The development of antiviral medications, such as lamivudine and adefovir, and the implementation of effective prophylactic regimens using hepatitis B immune globulin have significantly improved the outcomes of hepatitis B after liver transplantation. However, current approaches continue to be hampered by the extremely high cost of treatment and the emergence of drug-resistant viral mutations. Ongoing studies are necessary to establish the most cost-effective approaches to prevent recurrent hepatitis B virus infection after liver transplantation.
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
authors.forename: Bruce Y
authors.initials: BY
authors.lastname: Tung
authors.forename: Kris V
authors.initials: KV
authors.lastname: Kowdley
mesh_terms: D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D017093:Liver Failure / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery*; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D012008:Recurrence; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents