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Impact of Calcineurin Inhibitors on Hepatitis C Recurrence After Liver Transplantation

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Abstract

Background and Aims

The aim of this retrospective study is to assess the impact of calcineurin inhibitors on hepatitis C virus recurrence following liver transplantation.

Methods

A total of 396 patients underwent liver transplantation for hepatitis C virus-induced liver disease between 1991 and 2005 at a single center. We examined the pre- and post-operative characteristics of patients who received either cyclosporine (n = 126) or tacrolimus (n = 270) as maintenance immunosuppression. In addition, we compared the postoperative course, including patient, graft and hepatitis C virus recurrence-free survival between the two groups.

Results

There were no significant differences between the two groups in either post-operative hepatitis C virus—ribonucleic acid or histological fibrosis score (performed within 6 months after transplant per protocol). The graft and patient survivals did not differ between the two groups (logrank p = 0.34 and 0.15, respectively). Histologic hepatitis C virus recurrence-free survival, however, was significantly higher in the cyclosporine group than in the tacrolimus group (55.4 vs. 30.8% at 1 year, 18.6 vs. 10.3% at 3 years, 16.7 vs. 8.1% at 5 years, p < 0.001).

Conclusions

Patients transplanted for hepatitis C virus and treated with cyclosporine versus tacrolimus may have a higher recurrence-free survival.

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Conflict of interest

No conflicts of interest exist for any of the authors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Section of Transplantation, Department of Surgery, University of Utah School of Medicine, 30 North 1900 East, 3B110 SOM, Salt Lake City, UT, 84132, USA

    Robin D. Kim, John B. Sorensen & Jason J. Schwartz

  2. Department of Surgery, Division of Transplantation, University of Florida College of Medicine, M-125 Health Science Center, PO Box 100216, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA

    Shugo Mizuno & Shiro Fujita

Authors
  1. Robin D. Kim
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  2. Shugo Mizuno
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  3. John B. Sorensen
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  4. Jason J. Schwartz
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  5. Shiro Fujita
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Robin D. Kim.

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Kim, R.D., Mizuno, S., Sorensen, J.B. et al. Impact of Calcineurin Inhibitors on Hepatitis C Recurrence After Liver Transplantation. Dig Dis Sci 57, 568–572 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10620-011-1871-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10620-011-1871-z

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