ATS
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to Personal Folders
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Permission Requests
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Shitrit, A. B.-G.
Right arrow Articles by Shitrit, D.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Shitrit, A. B.-G.
Right arrow Articles by Shitrit, D.
Related Collections
Right arrow Lung - transplantation

Ann Thorac Surg 2006;81:1851-1852
© 2006 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons

Original article: General thoracic

Lamivudine Prophylaxis for Hepatitis B Virus Infection After Lung Transplantation

Ariella Bar-Gil Shitrit, MD a , Mordechai R. Kramer, MD b , * , Ilana Bakal b , Gilles Morali, MD a , Ziv Ben Ari, MD c , David Shitrit, MD b

a Gastroenterological Department, Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Jerusalem
b Pulmonary Institute, Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Campus, Petah Tiqwa, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
c Liver Institute, Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Campus, Petah Tiqwa, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel

Accepted for publication December 7, 2005.

* Address correspondence to Dr Kramer, Pulmonary Institute, Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Campus, Petah Tiqwa 49100, Israel (Email: davids3{at}clalit.org.il).

BACKGROUND: Several reports have shown the efficacy of prophylactic lamivudine treatment for hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in liver and renal transplantations. No data are available, however, after lung transplantation. We report our experience with prophylactic lamivudine treatment in lung transplant recipients with HBV infection or when the donor was HBc antibody positive.

METHODS: All our 120 lung transplant recipients and their donors were routinely screened for HBV markers. All recipients who tested positive for hepatitis B surface antigen and negative for HBV-DNA, or had organs from donors who tested positive for hepatitis B core antibody, were treated prophylactically with lamivudine for 12 months after lung transplantation. Patients whose liver functions became abnormal during follow-up were tested for HBV serology and HBV-DNA.

RESULTS: Eleven of 120 lung transplant recipients (9.2%) were treated with prophylaxis lamivudine. Four recipients were hepatitis B surface antigen positive, and 7 recipients received organs from donors positive for HBc antibodies. Median follow-up after treatment was 24 months. All patients had normal alanine transaminase and undetectable levels of HBV-DNA before treatment. No side effects of lamivudine therapy were reported by any of the patients. Reactivation with alanine transaminase elevation and high HBV-DNA levels occurred in 2 patients. Both of them were recipients positive for hepatitis B surface antigen. In the first patient, lamivudine-resistant strain was detected and adefovir dipivoxil was started. In the other, reactivation developed 2 months after the end of lamivudine treatment. Lamivudine treatment was resumed, with rapid normalization of the HBV-DNA.

CONCLUSIONS: Use of lamivudine is considered safe for suppressing HBV infection after lung transplantation.






HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
ANN THORAC SURG ASIAN CARDIOVASC THORAC ANN EUR J CARDIOTHORAC SURG
J THORAC CARDIOVASC SURG ICVTS ALL CTSNet JOURNALS
Copyright © 2006 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons.