Hepatitis B and Liver Transplantation: Update in Management before and after Transplantation

Abstract

Patients who undergo liver transplantation (LT) for chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection are at high risk of developing recurrent HBV in the absence of effective prophylaxis. Pre-LT management should focus on suppression of HBV DNA levels, which have been associated with HBV recurrence. Evidence linking hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) recurrence to HBV recurrence has been less clear. Prophylaxis against recurrent HBV after LT with combination HBIG and antiviral therapy is the current standard of care and is effective in >90% of patients, but investigation is ongoing to determine the most cost-effective treatment regimens. While antiviral therapy with newer nucleos(t)ide analogues without HBIG is assumed to be effective, no recent studies have examined the long-term efficacy of salvage regimens for recurrent HBV. Large, prospective trials are urgently needed. Overall, LT for HBV is highly effective with appropriate pre-and post-LT antiviral therapy.