Complete withdrawal of hepatitis B virus prophylaxis after liver transplantation in a recipient at high risk of recurrence

With the potent nucleos (t) ide analogues developed, necessity of life-long combined prophylaxis against hepatitis B virus (HBV) recurrence after HBV-related liver transplantation has been challenged. But complete withdrawal of HBV prophylaxis has not been previously observed in patients at high recurrence risk who showed active HBV replication before transplant. Herein, we describe a patient with positive HBeAg and HBV-DNA at the time of liver transplantation, who experienced complete HBV prophylaxis withdrawal after 3 years' application of hepatitis B immunoglobulin (HBIG) and entecavir, and showed no HBV recurrence during a long term of follow-up.