title: Impact of calcineurin inhibitors on hepatitis C recurrence after liver transplantation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this retrospective study is to assess the impact of calcineurin inhibitors on hepatitis C virus recurrence following liver transplantation.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 396 patients underwent liver transplantation for hepatitis C virus-induced liver disease between 1991 and 2005 at a single center. We examined the pre- and post-operative characteristics of patients who received either cyclosporine (n = 126) or tacrolimus (n = 270) as maintenance immunosuppression. In addition, we compared the postoperative course, including patient, graft and hepatitis C virus recurrence-free survival between the two groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no significant differences between the two groups in either post-operative hepatitis C virus-ribonucleic acid or histological fibrosis score (performed within 6 months after transplant per protocol). The graft and patient survivals did not differ between the two groups (logrank p = 0.34 and 0.15, respectively). Histologic hepatitis C virus recurrence-free survival, however, was significantly higher in the cyclosporine group than in the tacrolimus group (55.4 vs. 30.8% at 1 year, 18.6 vs. 10.3% at 3 years, 16.7 vs. 8.1% at 5 years, p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients transplanted for hepatitis C virus and treated with cyclosporine versus tacrolimus may have a higher recurrence-free survival.
authors: Section of Transplantation, Department of Surgery, University of Utah School of Medicine, 30 North 1900 East, 3B110 SOM, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, USA. robin.kim@hsc.utah.edu
authors: Robin D
authors: RD
authors: Kim
authors: Shugo
authors: S
authors: Mizuno
authors: John B
authors: JB
authors: Sorensen
authors: Jason J
authors: JJ
authors: Schwartz
authors: Shiro
authors: S
authors: Fujita
mesh_terms: D065095:Calcineurin Inhibitors; D016572:Cyclosporine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006085:Graft Survival; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D055502:Secondary Prevention; D016559:Tacrolimus / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous
chemical_list: D065095:Calcineurin Inhibitors; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D016572:Cyclosporine; D016559:Tacrolimus