Single-Center Experience in Pre-transplant Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) Treatment Among Living Donor Liver Transplant Candidates: Bridging the Direct-Acting Antivirals (DAA)
Ashwini M. Niranjan-Azadi, Gokhan Kabacam, Christine M. Durand, Saad Anjum, Behnam Saberi, Nabil N. Dagher, Benjamin Philosophe, Ahmet Gurakar
Osler Internal Medicine Residency Program, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
Ann Transplant 2017; 22:570-574
DOI: 10.12659/AOT.905649
Available online:
Published: 2017-09-22

BACKGROUND:
Treatment with DAAs before deceased donor liver transplantation has been shown to be an effective strategy to prevent post-transplant HCV recurrence, with a 95% cure-rate among individuals who achieve undetectable HCV VL for ≥30 days pre- transplant. This strategy has not been evaluated in LDLT.
MATERIAL AND METHODS:
We evaluated outcomes in LDLT recipients treated with DAAs pre-transplant and bridged with 4 weeks of post-transplant SOF. All cases of LDLT at Johns Hopkins (1/1/2014-3/1/15) were retrospectively reviewed.
RESULTS:
There were 4 HCV+ LDLT cases treated with DAAs pre- and post-transplant. Pre-transplant DAA regimens included SOF plus SIM in 2 cases of HCC and SOF plus RBV in 2 cases of ESLD. All patients achieved negative VL by week 7 of treatment and all patients had at least 30 days of HCV RNA negativity at the time of LDLT. Patient 4 had a delay in LDLT due to uncontrolled pulmonary hypertension, and experienced viral breakthrough because of treatment interruption. Due to concerns for SOF resistance, a salvage regimen of LDV-SOF and SIM was used. Post-LDLT patients 1–3 received 4 weeks of SOF monotherapy and patient 4 received 14 weeks of LDV-SOF. Three patients achieved SVR12. One died from non-HCV related complications at 4 months post-LDLT.
CONCLUSIONS:
Our preliminary experience suggests that bridging DAAs pre- and post-LDLT is an effective strategy to prevent HCV recurrence. With delays in transplant and prolonged use of SOF/RBV, there is a risk of viral breakthrough, but a salvage strategy of triple DAA therapy can be effective.
Keywords: Hepatitis C, Liver Transplantation