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Strategies for the Treatment of Hepatitis B and C After Liver Transplantation

  • Conference paper
Current Issues in Liver and Small Bowel Transplantation

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Summary

Hepatitis B- and C-related liver cirrhosis is the most common indication for liver transplantation. However, owing to the high frequency of recurrence of hepatitis, the morbidity and mortality of recipients with hepatitis B or C are high when compared with other indications such as alcoholic cirrhosis or Budd-Chiari syndrome. The spontaneous risk of viral recurrence in patients with hepatitis B has been effectively reduced by the use of hepatitis B immunoglobulin and lamivudine. In contrast to this, hepatitis C virus (HCV) recurrence is almost universal, although long-term survival is not low compared with other indications. Prophylactic or therapeutic regimens that alter the course of disease in HCV-positive patients do not exist, and with longer follow-up times the prevalence of HCV-related graft failure is likely to increase. New immunosuppressive regimens and antiviral treatments combining ribavarin and interferon a have to be investigated to reduce further the complications of HCV recurrence in the future.

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  1. Chirurgische Klinik und Poliklinik, Charité, Campus Virchow-Klinikum, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany

    Ulf P. Neumann, Daniel Seehofer, Jan M. Langrehr & Peter Neuhaus

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  3. Jan M. Langrehr
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  4. Peter Neuhaus
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  1. Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Keio University, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan

    Masaki Kitajima M.D. , Motohide Shimazu M.D. , Go Wakabayashi M.D. , Ken Hoshino M.D. , Minoru Tanabe M.D.  & Shigeyuki Kawachi M.D. , , , ,  & 

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© 2002 Springer Japan

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Neumann, U.P., Seehofer, D., Langrehr, J.M., Neuhaus, P. (2002). Strategies for the Treatment of Hepatitis B and C After Liver Transplantation. In: Kitajima, M., Shimazu, M., Wakabayashi, G., Hoshino, K., Tanabe, M., Kawachi, S. (eds) Current Issues in Liver and Small Bowel Transplantation. Keio University International Symposia for Life Sciences and Medicine, vol 9. Springer, Tokyo. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-4-431-67889-2_9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-4-431-67889-2_9

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Tokyo

  • Print ISBN: 978-4-431-68005-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-4-431-67889-2

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