BACKGROUND: Combined hepatitis B immune globulin (HBIg) and lamivudine in prophylaxis of the recurrence of hepatitis B after liver transplantation has significantly improved the survival of HBsAg positive patients. This study was undertaken to evaluate the outcomes of liver transplantation for patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV).
METHODS: A retrospective chart analysis and a review of the organ transplant database identified 51 patients (43 men and 8 women) transplanted for benign HBV-related cirrhotic diseases between June 2002 and December 2004 who had survived more than 3 months. HBIg was administered intravenously during the first week and intramuscularly thereafter.
RESULTS: At a median follow-up of 14.1 months, the overall recurrence rate in the 51 patients was 3.9% (2/51). The overall patient survival was 88.3%, and 82.4% after 1 and 2 years, respectively. A daily oral dose of 100 mg lamivudine for 2 weeks before transplantation for 10 patients enabled 57.1% (4/7) and 62.5% (5/8) of HBV-DNA and HBeAg positive patients respectively to convert to be negative. Intramuscular HBIg was well tolerated in all patients.
CONCLUSION: Lamivudine combined with intramuscular HBIg can effectively prevent allograft from the recurrence of HBV after liver transplantation.