title: Lamivudine monoprophylaxis and adefovir salvage for liver transplantation in chronic hepatitis B: a seven-year follow-up study.
abstract: In Asia Pacific countries, lamivudine is used frequently as the sole prophylaxis for hepatitis B virus (HBV) recurrence after liver transplantation due to financial consideration. The aim was to evaluate the long-term outcome of lamivudine monoprophylaxis with adefovir salvage for liver transplantation in chronic hepatitis B. Consecutive chronic hepatitis B patients who received liver transplantation from 1999 to 2003 and with at least 12 months follow up were studied. Lamivudine monotherapy was used for antiviral prophylaxis and adefovir was added as salvage treatment for recurrence of HBV. Twenty-four patients were followed up for 272 (76-372) weeks post-liver transplantation. HBV recurrence developed in seven patients with cumulative probabilities of 8%, 13%, 28%, 35%, 35%, and 49% in 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 years. At the time of recurrence of HBV, the HBV DNA level was 910,244 (363 to 9 x 10(8)) copies/ml. On direct sequencing, four patients had rtM204I mutation and three patients HBV DNA levels were too low for sequencing. Six patients had elevated ALT (two patients had ALT >1,000 IU/L and jaundice) but none had hepatic encephalopathy. After adefovir treatment for 150 (91-193) weeks, six (86%) patients had normal ALT. HBV DNA was undetectable in two (29%) patients, 100-1,000 copies/ml in two (29%) patients and 10,000-100,000 copies/ml in three (43%) patients on last visit. No genotypic resistance to adefovir was detected. Lamivudine followed by adefovir salvage is effective for prophylaxis of recurrence of HBV after liver transplantation up to 7 years.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Therapeutics and Institute of Digestive Disease, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Jenny L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Limquiaco
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Vincent W S
authors.initials: VW
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Grace L H
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Chi-Hang
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Tse
authors.forename: Hoi-Yun
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Katherine Y Y
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Kwan
authors.forename: Paul B S
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: Henry L Y
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Chan
mesh_terms: D000225:Adenine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000328:Adult; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000601:surgery; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D024882:Drug Resistance, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019259:Lamivudine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D063065:Organophosphonates / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018894:Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D063065:Organophosphonates; D018894:Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors; D019259:Lamivudine; C053001:adefovir; D000225:Adenine