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Antiviral therapy in the liver transplant candidate and recipient

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Abstract

Antiviral therapy for patients with chronic hepatitis C who have cirrhosis, especially with decompensated disease, or have undergone liver transplantation, is evolving. Response to antiviral therapy declines with increasing severity of liver disease, genotype 1 infection, and dose reductions in antiviral therapy. Results in 79 patients indicate that 23% of post-transplant recurrence of hepatitis C may be prevented by pretransplant antiviral therapy. Rates of sustained virologic response with interferon or pegylated interferon plus ribavirin when used after transplantation range from 7% to 56%. Carefully controlled trials are needed to expand on these observations.

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Everson, G.T. Antiviral therapy in the liver transplant candidate and recipient. Curr hepatitis rep 4, 75–82 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11901-005-0018-0

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