title: Telaprevir versus simeprevir for the treatment of recurrent hepatitis C after living donor liver transplantation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Our aim was to evaluate the clinical outcomes of telaprevir (TVR)- or simeprevir (SMV)-based triple therapy for recurrent hepatitis C after living donor liver transplantation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-six patients received antiviral therapy, consisting of either TVR (n = 12) or SMV (n = 14) in combination with pegylated interferon and ribavirin, plus cyclosporin.
  
  
  RESULTS
  More patients had a dose reduction of the direct-acting agent (36.3% vs 0.0%, P = 0.02) or required blood transfusion for anemia (58.3% vs 7.1%, P < 0.01) in the TVR group. The cyclosporin trough/dose ratio increased significantly from week 0 to week 4 in the TVR group (1.6 ± 0.4 to 5.1 ± 2.0, P < 0.01), but not in the SMV group (1.2 ± 0.3 to 1.3 ± 0.2, P = 0.68). The 24-week cumulative viral clearance rate was 91.7% and 85.7% in the TVR and in SMV groups, respectively. The early viral response and sustained viral response rates were 91.7% and 83.3%, respectively, in the TVR group, compared with 85.7% and 64.3%, respectively, in the SMV group. Interferon-mediated graft dysfunction occurred in four and five patients in the TVR and SMV groups, respectively; two patients were treated by oral steroids, five by steroid pulse and two by thymoglobulin, resulting in viral breakthrough in one case.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SMV-based triple therapy was associated with fewer adverse events and drug interactions with cyclosporin, and possibly less antiviral properties to TVR. Interferon-mediated graft dysfunction is a significant clinical problem that warrants particular caution following living donor liver transplantation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery and Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Toru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ikegami
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery and Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Tomoharu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yoshizumi
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery and Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshihro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery and Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kurihara
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery and Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Norifumi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Harimoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery and Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Shinji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Itoh
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery and Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shimokawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery and Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Takasuke
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fukuhara
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery and Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shirabe
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery and Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshihiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Maehara
keywords: hepatitis C; interferon; liver transplantation; living donor; simeprevir; telaprevir