Low-dose hepatitis B immune globulin and higher-dose lamivudine combination to prevent hepatitis B virus recurrence after liver transplantation
Articles > Article · 2004
Authors: Abdullah Zeki KARASU, T OZACAR, MEHMET MAHİR AKYILDIZ, T DEMIRBAS, CİHAT OKAN ARIKAN, A KOBAT, Ulus Salih AKARCA, G ERSOZ, Fulya GÜNŞAR, Y BATUR, Murat KILIÇ, Y TOKAT
ANTIVIRAL THERAPY, Journal Indexed in SCI Expanded, International, 2004, vol 9, pp 921-927
Summary
Post-transplant prevention of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is based on treatment with lamivudine and/or hepatitis B immune globulin (HBIG). However, optimum doses and duration for these drugs are not yet clear. We tested high doses of lamivudine (300 mg/day) in combination with low doses of HBIG (200-400 IU/2-4 weeks). Eighty patients who had post-transplant prophylaxis of lamivudine and HBIG were included in the study. Of those, 20 had hepatitis D virus co-infection and eight were HBV DNA-positive at the time of transplantation. Ten HBV DNA-positive patients were treated with lamivudine (150 mg/day) before transplantation; all were HBV DNA-negative after lamivudine treatment.