1. Outcomes after liver transplantation for combined alcohol and hepatitis C virus infection.
- Author
-
Khan R, Singal AK, and Anand BS
- Subjects
- Alcohol Abstinence, Alcohol Drinking adverse effects, Alcohol Drinking prevention & control, Graft Survival, Hepacivirus pathogenicity, Hepatitis C, Chronic diagnosis, Hepatitis C, Chronic mortality, Hepatitis, Alcoholic diagnosis, Hepatitis, Alcoholic mortality, Humans, Recurrence, Risk Factors, Time Factors, Treatment Outcome, Virus Activation, Waiting Lists mortality, Hepatitis C, Chronic surgery, Hepatitis, Alcoholic surgery, Liver Transplantation adverse effects, Liver Transplantation mortality
- Abstract
Alcohol abuse and chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection are two major causes of chronic liver disease in the United States. About 10%-15% of liver transplants performed in the United States are for patients with cirrhosis due to combined alcohol and HCV infection. Data on outcomes on graft and patient survival, HCV recurrence, and relapse of alcohol use comparing transplants in hepatitis C positive drinkers compared to alcohol abuse or hepatitis C alone are conflicting in the literature. Some studies report a slightly better overall outcome in patients who were transplanted for alcoholic cirrhosis vs those transplanted for HCV alone or for combined HCV and alcohol related cirrhosis. However, some other studies do not support these observations. However, most studies are limited to a retrospective design or small sample size. Larger prospective multicenter studies are needed to better define the outcomes in hepatitis C drinkers.
- Published
- 2014
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