title: Successful treatment of hepatitis B virus infection with Lamivudine after heart transplantation.
abstract: Patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection have a higher morbidity and mortality after heart transplantation (HT). HBV infection is endemic in Taiwan. We studied the effect of lamivudine treatment of HBV infection after HT. From July 1987 to July 2005, 252 patients underwent HT. All recipients and donors underwent routine screening of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), hepatitis B e antigen, antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen, antibody to hepatitis B core antigen, antibody to hepatitis B e antigen, and an alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level before HT. When ALT was two times greater than the upper limit of normal or serum bilirubin was higher than 3 mg/dL in HBsAg-positive patients, HBV-DNA were checked by a branched DNA assay or polymerase chain reaction. When HVB-DNA was greater than 100,000 copies/mL, lamivudine (100 mg per day) was prescribed indefinitely. There were 14 patients under lamivudine treatment after HT, among whom, none suffered severe adverse reactions from lamivudine. Four patients died: one due to end-stage cirrhosis while awaiting liver transplantation at 14 months after HT. Two died of sudden death at 54 months and 138 months after HT. Another died of diffuse B cell lymphoma at 62 months after HT. All the survivors have normal ALT and undetectable HBV-DNA after lamivudine treatment. But the YMDD mutant was detected in two patients. With successful treatment of HBV infection in HT, it is not necessary to exclude HBV infection patients from HT.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, National Taiwan University Hospital, No. 7 Chung-shan South Road, Taipei, Taiwan. sswang@ha.mc.ntu.edu.tw
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: N K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Chou
authors.forename: N H
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Chi
authors.forename: R B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Y S
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: H Y
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: C I
authors.initials: CI
authors.lastname: Tsao
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.forename: M Y
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Chu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000401:mortality / Q000502:physiology*; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D019259:Lamivudine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D019259:Lamivudine