title: Long-term antiviral treatment for recurrent hepatitis C after liver transplantation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The management of patients treated for hepatitis C recurrence after liver transplantation and not achieving virological response following treatment with interferon plus ribavirin is controversial.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective analysis of the outcomes of 70 patients non-responders to antiviral treatment after liver transplantation was performed. Twenty-one patients (30.0%; Group A) were treated for ≤ 12 months and 49 (70.0%; Group B) for more than 12 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 2 groups were comparable for main demographic, clinical and pathological variables. Median duration of antiviral treatment was 8.2 months in Group A and 33.4 months in Group B. No patient achieved a complete virological response. The 5-year patient hepatitis C-related survival rate was 49.2% in Group A and 88.3% in Group B (P=0.002), while the 5-year graft survival rate was 49.2% in Group A and 85.9% in Group B (P=0.007). The median yearly fibrosis progression rate was 1.21 per year in Group A and 0.40 per year in Group B (P=0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Prolonged antiviral treatment showed an overall beneficial effect in transplanted patients with a recurrent hepatitis C infection and not responding to conventional therapy. The treatment should be continued as long as it is permitted, in order to improve clinical and histological outcomes.
authors: Department of General Surgery and Organ Transplantation, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
authors: Valentina Rosa
authors: VR
authors: Bertuzzo
authors: Matteo
authors: M
authors: Cescon
authors: Maria Cristina
authors: MC
authors: Morelli
authors: Paolo
authors: P
authors: Di Gioia
authors: Mariarosa
authors: M
authors: Tamè
authors: Stefania
authors: S
authors: Lorenzini
authors: Pietro
authors: P
authors: Andreone
authors: Giorgio
authors: G
authors: Ercolani
authors: Massimo
authors: M
authors: Del Gaudio
authors: Matteo
authors: M
authors: Ravaioli
authors: Alessandro
authors: A
authors: Cucchetti
authors: Alessandro
authors: A
authors: Dazzi
authors: Antonietta
authors: A
authors: D'Errico-Grigioni
authors: Antonio Daniele
authors: AD
authors: Pinna
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018450:Disease Progression; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012367:RNA, Viral; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D012367:RNA, Viral; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012254:Ribavirin