title: Efficacy and safety of low accelerating dose regimen of interferon/ribavirin antiviral therapy in patients with hepatitis C virus recurrence after liver transplantation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Achievement of sustained virological response (SVR) is the main goal of interferon/ribavirin (IFN/RBV) antiviral therapy in patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) recurrence after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). In this study, we have retrospectively evaluated the efficacy and safety of low accelerating dose regimen (LADR) of IFN/RBV in patients with HCV recurrence after OLT.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-one patients with HCV recurrent after OLT who were treated with LADR of antiviral therapy were analyzed in our study. Data of virological response (including rapid, early, end of treatment and sustained virological responses, designated as RVR, EVR, ETVR, and SVR, respectively) and liver histological change were collected.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All patients received tacrolimus (TAC) and/or mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) for immunosuppression. Seven patients (23%), 6 patients (19%), and 18 patients (58%) finished complete treatment (CT), complete duration (CD), and incomplete treatment (IT), respectively. Twenty-four patients (77%) achieved ETVR. Among them, 8 patients (33%) achieved SVR, while 16 (67%) patients relapsed within 24 weeks after the end of the treatment. Univariate analysis showed that pretreatment viral load (p=0.002) as well as treatment dose and duration (p<0.001) were positively associated with SVR. Flu-like side effects were observed in all patients and 17 (54.8%) discontinued treatment due to adverse events.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SVR achievement and tolerability to LADR of IFN/RBV therapy in our study are moderate in patients with HCV recurrence after liver transplantation. Pretreatment viral load and treatment dose and duration are positively related to SVR.
authors.affiliation: Liver Transplantation Center, Beijing 302 Hospital, Beijing, China (mainland).
authors.forename: Haibin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Su
authors.affiliation: Liver Transplantation Center, Beijing 302 Hospital, Beijing, China (mainland).
authors.forename: Zhenwen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Liver Transplantation Center, Beijing 302 Hospital, Beijing, China (mainland).
authors.forename: Yanlin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Liver Transplantation Center, Beijing 302 Hospital, Beijing, China (mainland).
authors.forename: Hanwei
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Liver Transplantation Center, Beijing 302 Hospital, Beijing, China (mainland).
authors.forename: Shuangnan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Liver Transplantation Center, Beijing 302 Hospital, Beijing, China (mainland).
authors.forename: Xia
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Liver Transplantation Center, Beijing 302 Hospital, Beijing, China (mainland).
authors.forename: Yinjie
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: Liver Transplantation Center, Beijing 302 Hospital, Beijing, China (mainland).
authors.forename: Rujia
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: Liver Transplantation Center, Beijing 302 Hospital, Beijing, China (mainland).
authors.forename: Dali
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Liver Transplantation Center, Beijing 302 Hospital, Beijing, China (mainland).
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007372:Interferons / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D019562:Viral Load; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D012254:Ribavirin; D007372:Interferons