Original ResearchClinical—LiverEntecavir Monotherapy Is Effective in Suppressing Hepatitis B Virus After Liver Transplantation
Section snippets
Patients and Methods
All patients who underwent a liver transplant for CHB-related complications between November 2007 and December 2009 at Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong, were included in this study. A total of 80 patients were included. All were positive for HBsAg for at least 6 months at the time of transplant. As part of the revised protocol for HBV prophylaxis, all 80 patients received ETV as primary prophylaxis for the prevention of HBV recurrence. The standard dose of 0.5 mg daily was used in the majority,
Results
Eighty consecutive patients with CHB undergoing a liver transplant from November 2007 to December 2009 were included. Forty-seven patients (59%) underwent a liver transplant from a liver donor, with the remaining 33 patients (41%) receiving deceased donor grafts. The indications for transplant included decompensation from cirrhosis (27.5%), acute-on-chronic hepatitis B (47.5%), and HCC (25%). There was no operative or hospital mortality. The median follow-up time after transplant was 26 months
Discussion
In recent years, new strategies for the prophylaxis of hepatitis B after liver transplant have been proposed to avoid the inconvenience associated with long-term administration of HBIG. Due to the low genetic barrier, the use of LAM as monoprophylaxis has raised concerns regarding the potential risk of virologic breakthrough with the emergence of drug-resistant mutations. The availability of newer and more potent oral nucleoside/nucleotide analogues with higher genetic barriers and with
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Conflicts of interest The authors disclose the following: Man-Fung Yuen has received speakers' bureau and research grants from Bristol-Myers Squibb. Ching-Lung Lai and James Fung have been invited speakers for Bristol-Myers Squibb. The remaining authors disclose no conflicts.