Prevention of hepatitis B recurrence after liver transplantation using lamivudine or lamivudine combined with hepatitis B Immunoglobulin prophylaxis

The aim of our study was to determine the outcomes of liver transplant recipients receiving either lamivudine (LAM) monotherapy or LAM combined with low‐dose intramuscular (IM) hepatitis B Immunoglobulin (HBIG) therapy. We performed a retrospective review of the medical records of patients that had had liver transplantation in a single center for HBV‐related liver diseases from December 1999 to June 2004. A total of 165 patients received LAM monotherapy (51 patients) or combined prophylaxis (114 patients) post‐liver transplantation (LT) with a mean follow‐up of 20.13 months. Hepatitis B relapsed in 21 patients of the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) carriers who received LAM monotherapy, with a 1‐ and 2‐yr actuarial risk of 27.4% and 39.7%. Recurrence occurred in 16 patients of 114 patients receiving the combined prophylaxis, with a 1‐ and 2‐yr recurrence rate of 13.5% and 15.2% (P= 0.024). A total of 25 cases (67.6%) with YMDD mutants were detected in all the 37 patients, 14 cases (66.7%) in the monotherapy group and 11 cases (68.8%) in the combination group. In conclusion, LAM and low‐dose intramuscular HBIG treatment demonstrates a better result than LAM monotherapy, as prophylaxis against post‐LT reinfection of the graft, but the safety and efficacy as a substitution for high‐dose intravenous HBIG with LAM needs to be investigated further. Liver Transpl 12:253–258, 2006. © 2006 AASLD.