title: The benefits of interferon treatment in patients without sustained viral response after living donor liver transplantation for hepatitis C.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery and Science, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan. tikesurg@yahoo.co.jp
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ikegami
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Taketomi
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Soejima
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yoshizumi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fukuhara
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kotoh
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shimoda
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Maehara
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D012367:RNA, Viral; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012254:Ribavirin; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase