B. Zollner et al., PROGNOSTIC-SIGNIFICANCE OF THE HEPATITIS-B VIRUS-DNA CONCENTRATION INPATIENTS AFTER ORTHOTOPIC LIVER-TRANSPLANTATION, Hepato-gastroenterology, 41(5), 1994, pp. 424-426
Hepatitis B virus-DNA was detected by polymerase chain reaction in 9 o
ut of 10 patients after orthotopic liver transplantation. Three of the
se patients were at the same time positive for hepatitis B virus-DNA b
y dot-blot hybridization (hepatitis B virus-DNA >1.5 pg/ml). In these
three patients HBs-antigen (HBsAg) reappeared within a mean time of 12
weeks after orthotopic liver transplantation (range 7-18 weeks). Only
two of the six polymerase chain reaction-positive and dot-blot-negati
ve patients (hepatitis B virus-DNA between 0.4 fg/ml and 1.5 pg/ml) ha
d recurrence of HBsAg within a mean time of 54 weeks (range 52-56 week
s). Passive immunoprophylaxis with anti-HBs antibodies (serum titers >
100 IU/l) did not prevent infection of the graft in the five reinfect
ed patients. We conclude that a low concentration of serum hepatitis B
virus-DNA after orthotopic liver transplantation, which is detectable
only by polymerase chain reaction, indicates a delayed infection of t
he graft.