| Theme |
Liver Transplantation -- Current Status and Perspective |
| Title |
Liver Transplantation as Chronic Hepatitis C and Liver Cirrhosis Treatment |
| Author |
Shohei Yoshiya |
Department of Surgery and Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyusyu University |
| Author |
Ken Shirabe |
Department of Surgery and Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyusyu University |
| Author |
Mizuki Ninomiya |
Department of Surgery and Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyusyu University |
| Author |
Yo-ichi Yamashita |
Department of Surgery and Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyusyu University |
| Author |
Toru Ikegami |
Department of Surgery and Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyusyu University |
| Author |
Tomoharu Yoshizumi |
Department of Surgery and Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyusyu University |
| Author |
Yuji Soejima |
Department of Surgery and Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyusyu University |
| Author |
Yoshihiko Maehara |
Department of Surgery and Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyusyu University |
| [ Summary ] |
Chronic hepatitis C and related liver cirrhosis are the primary indications for liver transplantation. Liver cirrhosis recipients who have hepatitis C have worse postoperative prognoses than those with other deseases, for two main reasons. First, there is difficulty in choosing an appropriate time to perform transplants because the condition of recipients with low bilirubin values may rapidly worsen due to hepatocellular failure. Second, most graft experience posttransplant relapses due to hepatitis C. Improving postoperative prognoses is possible by choosing suitable transplant timing and making improvements in interferon therapy. We strive to improve interferon therapy outcomes in the following ways : 1) low dose induction for interferon therapy, 2) the simultaneous splenectomies during transplantation, and 3) the interferon conversion therapy, changing from interferon α-2b to interferon α-2a, 4) predictions on the outcomes of interferon therapy may be made with gene analysis. The introduction of novel medicines will lead to further improvements in transplantation outcomes for hepatitis C patients. |