title: Fibrosing cholestatic hepatitis with hepatitis C virus treated by double filtration plasmapheresis and interferon plus ribavirin after liver transplantation.
abstract: Fibrosing cholestatic hepatitis (FCH) is a serious disease in patients with recurrent hepatitis C after liver transplantation (LTx). Antiviral therapy is indicated in these patients; however, it is not always effective, and the prognosis of FCH is generally poor. Double filtration plasmapheresis (DFPP) has been shown to be effective at eliminating hepatitis C virus (HCV) in patients with chronic hepatitis C. We report a case of FCH with severe cholestasis (total bilirubin 34.2 mg/dl) after LTx. Combination therapy with interferon (IFN) and ribavirin (RBV) was unsuccessful for improving cholestasis; however, the addition of DFPP to IFN and RBV alleviated cholestasis and improved renal function. Although IFN and RBV with DFPP could not eliminate HCV, results of liver function tests improved and remained stable for several months. This treatment with DFPP combined with IFN and RBV would be useful for resolving cholestasis due to FCH. Moreover, treatment of DFPP could improve liver and renal function test results and could stop the worsening condition of patients with FCH.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Metabology, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Toon, Ehime, 791-0295, Japan.
authors.forename: Teruki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Miyake
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Metabology, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Toon, Ehime, 791-0295, Japan.
authors.forename: Kojiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Michitaka
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Metabology, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Toon, Ehime, 791-0295, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tokumoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Metabology, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Toon, Ehime, 791-0295, Japan.
authors.forename: Shinya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Furukawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Metabology, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Toon, Ehime, 791-0295, Japan.
authors.forename: Teruhisa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ueda
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Metabology, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Toon, Ehime, 791-0295, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Soga
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Metabology, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Toon, Ehime, 791-0295, Japan.
authors.forename: Masanori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abe
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Metabology, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Toon, Ehime, 791-0295, Japan.
authors.forename: Bunzo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Matsuura
authors.affiliation: Department of Organ Regulatory Surgery, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Toon, Ehime, Japan.
authors.forename: Taro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.affiliation: Department of Organ Regulatory Surgery, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Toon, Ehime, Japan.
authors.forename: Taiji
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tohyama
authors.affiliation: Department of Organ Regulatory Surgery, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Toon, Ehime, Japan.
authors.forename: Nobuaki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Metabology, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Toon, Ehime, 791-0295, Japan. hiasa@m.ehime-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Yoichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hiasa
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Metabology, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Toon, Ehime, 791-0295, Japan.
authors.forename: Morikazu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Onji
keywords: Cholestasis; Hyperbilirubinemia; Hyperviremia; Liver failure