title: Pharmaceutical management of hepatitis B and C in liver and kidney transplant recipients.
abstract: The combination of hepatitis B immune globulin with entecavir or tenofovir (at least for a certain period of time) seems to be the most reasonable prophylaxis against recurrent hepatitis B after liver transplantation. Entecavir represents an attractive option for treatment of naïve kidney transplant recipients, because of its high efficacy and the low rates of resistance. However antiviral treatment should be individualized in the view of kidney function and the previous resistance. To date, new captivating therapeutic strategies could make interferon-free regimens viable for treatment of hepatitis C virus positive liver transplant recipients. The recent combinations of sofosbuvir with simeprevir or daclatasvir or ledipasvir plus/minus ribavirin have boosted the on treatment and sustained virological response to rates approaching 100% within liver transplant recipients with recurrent chronic hepatitis C (CHC). Preliminary data showed that the second generation direct oral antivirals could result to high treatment rates of recurrent CHC in kidney transplant recipients as well. Ongoing studies will clarify the optimal treatment of recurrent CHC in kidney transplant recipients.
authors.affiliation: Chrysoula Pipili, Division of Nephrology, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SA, Scotland, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Chrysoula
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pipili
authors.affiliation: Chrysoula Pipili, Division of Nephrology, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SA, Scotland, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Evangelos
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cholongitas
keywords: Hepatitis B; Hepatitis C; Hepatitis C recurrence; Kidney transplantation hepatitis B recurrence; Liver transplantation; Viral hepatitis