The benefits of interferon treatment in patients without sustained viral response after living donor liver transplantation for hepatitis C.
Although it has been recognized that interferon (IFN) treatment is crucial for recurrent hepatitis C after liver transplantation, its benefits have not been determined among patients without a sustained viral response (SVR).


METHODS
Eighty patients who received IFN plus ribavirin treatment after living donor liver transplantation were grouped as follows: group I (n = 18) SVR; group II (n = 25) no-SVR but viral response [VR] positive; Group III (n = 13) no-VR but biochemical response [BR] positive; and group IV (n = 24) no-VR and no-BR.


RESULTS
In groups II and III, not only the histological activity grade and fibrosis stage, but also the serum parameters including transaminases and type IV collagen were stable for 3 years after induction of IFN-based treatment. In group I, the activity grade and fibrosis stage significantly improved (P < .01). In group IV, the fibrosis stage significantly deteriorated (P < .01); the serum transaminases and type IV collagen were significantly higher than the other groups (P < .01). The mean duration of IFN treatment was significantly longer among group II (96 weeks) compared with the other cohorts (P < .05). The 5-year graft survival rate in groups II (91%) and III (100%) were comparable to those of group I (100%); group IV (62%) was significantly lower than the other groups (P < .05).


CONCLUSIONS
IFN treatment was beneficial even among subjects with IFN-dependent VR or BR, although they did not achieve SVR.
Ikegami
T
T
Department of Surgery and Science, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan. tikesurg@yahoo.co.jp
Taketomi
A
A
Soejima
Y
Y
Yoshizumi
T
T
Fukuhara
T
T
Kotoh
K
K
Shimoda
S
S
Kato
M
M
Maehara
Y
Y
D000368:Aged; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006085:Graft Survival; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology*; D019520:Living Donors; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015996:Survival Rate
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D012367:RNA, Viral; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012254:Ribavirin; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase