title: Liver transplant and hepatitis C in methadone maintenance therapy: a case report.
abstract: Methadone maintenance therapy for the treatment of opioid dependence continues to carry a social stigma. Until recently, patients on methadone were not considered for liver transplantation. We describe the first case of a patient on methadone who received a liver transplant for end stage liver disease and was successfully treated for recurrent hepatitis C. More than five years post transplant and three years post viral clearance, the patient continues to do well and is stable on low-dose methadone. This case emphasizes the need to reconsider the non-evidence based policy adopted by transplant centers that require methadone maintenance therapy patients to stop methadone prior to consideration for transplant evaluation.
authors.affiliation: Section of Transplant Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of California Davis Medical Center, 4150 V Street, PSSB, Suite 3500, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA. mhancock@lumc.edu
authors.forename: Meredith M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Hancock
authors.forename: Colette C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Prosser
authors.forename: Kanat
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ransibrahmanakul
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lester
authors.forename: Elana
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Craemer
authors.forename: James A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Bourgeois
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rossaro
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007372:Interferons / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008691:Methadone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009293:Opioid-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D055502:Secondary Prevention; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D000998:Antiviral Agents; D012254:Ribavirin; D007372:Interferons; D008691:Methadone