Antiviral treatment in patients with hepatitis C virus-related cirrhosis awaiting liver transplantation.

ABSTRACT: End stage liver disease due to hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is the most common indication for liver transplantation (LT) worldwide. Regretfully, infection of the graft by HCV occurs almost universally after LT, causing chronic hepatitis and early progression to cirrhosis in a significant proportion of recipients. Moreover, graft and patient survival are significantly worse in patients undergoing LT for HCV-related cirrhosis than in those transplanted for other indications. Therefore, many LT centers consider antiviral treatment with interferon and ribavirin the mainstay of managing recurrent HCV disease in LT recipients. The optimal time to start treatment is unclear. In most instances, treatment is initiated when histological evidence of disease recurrence, either at protocol or on-d

SUBMITTER: Toniutto P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2500252 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature