HEPATITIS-C VIRUS RECURRENCE AFTER LIVER- TRANSPLANTATION

BACKGROUND: Liver disease due to hepatitis C virus (HCV) is an increas ingly frequent indication for liver transplantation. We performed a cl inical and virological study of 20 HCV-infected liver transplant recip ients to correlate virological markers with histological recurrence of disease. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In ninety-four patients who were given transplants for end-stage cirrhosis, IgG and IgM antibodies to HCV an d IgM to HCV tested by ELISA; all samples were further examined in a f our-antigen recombinant immunoblot assay (2-RIBA). HCV viremia was mea sured by the conventional nested PCR. HCV genotype was determined by P CR amplification using type-specific primers. We have analized de nova infection by HCV, HCV recurrence and the influence of genotype in the se recurrence. RESULTS: Nineteen of 20 antibody-positive patients (95% ) had HCV RNA before transplantation. All 19 patients who were viremic before transplantation had persistent infection after LT. HCV genotip e Ib was the predominant type before and after LT (75%). Ten of the 20 (50%) patients developed histological findings of chronic hepatitis ( CH) in liver allografts. HCV recurrent liver disease after LT was not related with HCV genotype. Of 4 deaths after transplant in hepatitis C group, only one was related to recurrent disease. We have not found d e nova hepatitis C. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate the general pers istence of hepatitis C virus infection and the excellent short-term pr ognosis after liver transplantation. Chronic hepatitis by HCV in liver transplant was not related with HCV genotype.