HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS REGISTER		Author Keyword(s) Vol Page [Advanced]

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this link to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Add article to my folders Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Roque-Afonso, A M Articles by Dussaix, E Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Roque-Afonso, A M Articles by Dussaix, E

Antibodies to hepatitis B surface antigen prevent viral reactivation in recipients of liver grafts from anti-HBC positive donors

¹ Laboratoire de Virologie, Hôpital Paul Brousse, Université Paris-Sud UPRES 1596, 12 avenue Paul Vaillant Couturier, 94804 Villejuif, France
² Centre Hépato-Biliaire, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, No 9941, Hôpital Paul Brousse, Université Paris-Sud UPRES 1596, 12 avenue Paul Vaillant Couturier, 94804 Villejuif, France
³ Laboratoire d'Anatomo-Pathologie, Hôpital Paul Brousse, Université Paris-Sud UPRES 1596, 12 avenue Paul Vaillant Couturier, 94804 Villejuif, France

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
A M Roque-Afonso, Laboratoire de Virologie, Hôpital Paul Brousse, Université Paris-Sud UPRES 1596, 12 avenue Paul Vaillant Couturier, 94804 Villejuif, France;
anne-marie.roque{at}pbr-ap-hop-paris.fr

Background and aims: Liver donors with serological evidence of resolved hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection (HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) negative, anti-HBV core (HBc) positive) can transmit HBV infection to recipients. In the context of organ shortage, we investigated the efficacy of hepatitis B immunoglobulin (HBIG) to prevent HBV infection, and assessed the infectious risk by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing for HBV DNA on serum and liver tissue of anti-HBc positive donors.

Patients: Between 1997 and 2000, 22 of 315 patients were transplanted with liver allografts from anti-HBc positive donors. Long term HBIG therapy was administered to 16 recipients. Four naive and two vaccinated patients received no prophylaxis.

Results: Hepatitis B developed in the four HBV naive recipients without prophylaxis and in none of the vaccinated subjects. Among the 16 recipients receiving HBIG, one patient with residual anti-HBs titres below 50 UI/ml became HBsAg positive. The remaining 15 remained HBsAg negative and HBV DNA negative by PCR testing throughout a 20 month (range 4–39) follow up period. HBV DNA was detected by PCR in 1/22 donor serum, and in 11/21 liver grafts with normal histology. A mean of 12 months post-transplantation (range 1–23) HBV DNA was no longer detectable in graft biopsies from patients remaining HBsAg negative.

Conclusion: Anti-HBs antibodies may control HBV replication in liver grafts from anti-HBc positive donors, without additional antiviral drugs. These grafts are thus suitable either to effectively vaccinated recipients or to those who are given HBIG to prevent HBV recurrence.

Keywords: hepatitis B virus; anti-hepatitis B virus core; liver transplantation; hepatitis B virus infection; liver grafts

Abbreviations: HBV, hepatitis B virus; HBc, HBV core; HBsAg, HBV surface antigen; HBeAg, HBV e antigen; HBIG, HBV immunoglobulin; PCR, polymerase chain reaction

This article has been cited by other articles:

				D Mutimer Positive suggestions about the anti-HBc positive donor Gut, January 1, 2002; 50(1): 7 - 8. [Full Text] [PDF]