A randomized controlled trial of pretransplant antiviral therapy to prevent recurrence of hepatitis C after liver transplantation.

ABSTRACT:

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Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection recurs in liver recipients who are viremic at transplantation. We conducted a randomized, controlled trial to test the efficacy and safety of pretransplant pegylated interferon alpha-2b plus ribavirin (Peg-IFN-α2b/RBV) for prevention of post-transplant HCV recurrence. Enrollees had HCV and were listed for liver transplantation, with either potential living donors or Model for End-Stage Liver Disease upgrade for hepatocellular carcinoma. Patients with HCV genotypes (G) 1/4/6 (n = 44/2/1) were randomized 2:1 to treatment (n = 31) or untreated control (n = 16); HCV G2/3 (n=32) were assigned to treatment. Overall, 59 were treated and 20 were not. Peg-IFN-α2b, starting at 0.75 μg/kg/week, and RBV, starting at 600 mg/day, were escalated as tol

SUBMITTER: Everson GT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3510348 | biostudies-literature | 2013 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature