Hepatitus C treatment post transplant

[Don-Brady]

  I am 4 months post liver transplant and my HCV has gone active again.  Within the last 6 weeks my liver numbers have quaddrupled and following a biopsy the results were recurant HCV.  What do you think of the new Rebetron treatment and is it OK for transplant patients.  pre transplant I took 3 months of interferon with no results  Thank you
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Dear Don Brady,
I think that the use of ribavarin and interferon would be a possible therapy, although as far as I am aware there is no data regarding this drug combination in post liver transplant patients.  There is also the theoretical risk of the immune stimulation inducing rejection.  If you are going to receive this combination therapy, ask your transplant hepatologist if you are part of a large multicenter study.  It is important to collect data on the appropriate role of this therapy.
If you are still taking corticosteroids, ask if this medication can be quickly tapered and stopped.  Discontinuing the steroids may help control the Hep C infection.
This information is presented for educational purposes only.  Always consult your personalphysician for specific medical issues.
HFHSM.D.-rf
*keywords: hepatitis C, liver transplantation
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