Hepatitis C virus genotypes, hepatitis, and hepatitis C virus recurrence after liver transplantation

✍ Scribed by Belli, Luca S. ;Silini, Enrico ;Alberti, Alberto ;Bellati, Giorgio ;Vai, Claudio ;Minola, Ernesto ;Rondinara, Gianfranco ;De Carlis, Luciano ;Asti, Margherita ;Forti, Domenico ;Ideo, Gaetano

• Publisher: Wiley (John Wiley & Sons)
• Year: 1996
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 522 KB
• Volume: 2
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1074-3022
• DOI: 10.1002/lt.500020305

✦ Synopsis

Several genotypes of hepatitis C virus (HCV) have been recently identified by phylogenetic analysis, but their clinical relevance in the liver transplant setting is unknown. We evaluated the incidence and course of recurrent hepatitis C after transplantation in 50 patients who underwent transplantation for HCV-related liver disease. Liver biopsy specimens were obtained when clinically indicated and at yearly intervals; hepatitis was histologically graded and staged according to standard criteria. HCV-RNA was detected by nested reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). HCV genotyping was performed by primer specific PCR. Follow-up was 6 to 62 months. HCV genotype distribution after transplantation of our 50 patients was as follows: 31 type 1b, 13 type 2a, 3 type 1a, 1 type 3a, 1 type 1b/2a, and 1, undetermined. Actuarial rates of recurrent hepatitis and of severe fibrosis or cirrhosis 5 years after transplantation were 56% and 20%, respectively, in patients infected by type 1b and 33% (P = .18) and 8% (P = .16) in those infected by 2a. In conclusion, this study provides evidence that in patients infected by HCV type 1b there is a trend for a more aggressive recurrent liver disease.