Ethical and scientific issues surrounding solid organ transplantation in HIV-positive patients: Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.
End-stage liver disease is emerging as a leading cause of death among HIV-positive patients. Historically, an HIV diagnosis was a contraindication for a liver transplant; however, because of the efficacy of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), HIV-positive patients have one-year, two-year, and three-year post-transplantation survival rates similar to that of HIV-negative patients. Based on this evidence, HIV-positive patients are now considered eligible for transplantation. However, newly emerging guidelines include the stipulation that HIV-positive patients must be on HAART to be placed on a waiting list for transplantation. The purpose of the present paper is to evaluate the scientific and ethical probity of requiring HIV-positive patients to be on HAART as a condition for being on a liver transplant waiting list. It is argued that the emphasis should be placed on the probability of post-transplantation HAART tolerance, and that concerns about pretransplantation HAART tolerance are of secondary importance.
Christie
Timothy
T
British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS.
Jiwani
Bashir
B
Asrat
Getnet
G
Montessori
Valentina
V
Mathias
Richard
R
Montaner
Julio
J