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Management of HCV Infection and Liver Transplantation
Thomas D. Schiano, Paul Martin Go to full text

Authors are encouraged to suggest names of reviewers. Accepted papers are published immediately. Submissions of previous review reports by other journals are welcome.
Medsci.org

A major challenge facing liver transplant recipients and their physicians is recurrence of hepatitis C virus infection following otherwise technically successful liver transplantation. Recurrent infection leads to diminished graft and patient survival. Although a number or predictors of severe recurrence have been identified, no definitive strategy has been developed to prevent recurrence. Generally the tempo of hepatitis C recurrence is gauged by serial liver biopsies with the decision to intervene with antiviral therapy based on local philosophy and expertise. Treating hepatitis C in this population has a number of major challenges including diminished patient tolerance for side-effects as well as managing the patient's immunesuppression. However sustained viral responses are possible with the potential to reduce the impact of recurrent hepatitis on the graft. However recurrent hepatitis C virus infection will remain the most frequent form of recurrent disease in liver transplant programs for the foreseeable future.

Retrived on 21 August 2008 16:36:18 EDT