HEPATITIS-C VIRUS RECURRENCE AFTER LIVER-TRANSPLANTATION - RELATIONSHIP TO ANTI-HCV CORE IGM, GENOTYPE, AND LEVEL OF VIREMIA

Objectives: Factors that determine the severity of hepatitis C virus ( HCV)-recurrent disease in patients undergoing orthotopic liver transpl antation (OLT) for HCV cirrhosis have not been clearly identified. To address this issue, we evaluated the histological and virological outc ome in 25 patients who underwent OLT for HCV cirrhosis, Methods: HCV-R NA was detected by qualitative and quantitative polymerase chain react ion, The HCV genotype also was determined by polymerase chain reaction , Anti-HCV core IgM was tested by ELISA, Disease severity was expresse d as a histological score, Results: Sixteen patients had evidence of H CV-recurrent disease, HCV-RNA levels before transplantation (p = 0.029 ) and after transplantation (15 days,p = 0.004; 90 days, p = 0.040; 36 0 days, p = 0.010) were significantly higher among patients who subseq uently developed recurrent hepatitis than among those who did not, The presence of anti-HCV core IgM before (p = 0.044) and after OLT (15 da ys, p = 0.017; 90 days, p = 0.037; and 360 days,p = 0.040) was signifi cantly related to recurrence of hepatitis, The genotype was not relate d to the level of viremia, to the prevalence of recurrent hepatitis, t o the presence of anti-HCV core IgM, or to disease severity, Conclusio ns: The recurrence of HCV hepatitis in patients undergoing OLT for HCV cirrhosis is related to higher levels of viremia and the presence of anti-HCV core IgM, but not to the HCV genotype, However, disease sever ity is not related to viremia levels, HCV genotype, or positivity of a nti-HCV core IgM.