Pegylated-interferon and ribavirin in liver transplant candidates and recipients with HCV cirrhosis: systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective controlled studies

Hepatitis C virus treatment and liver transplantation in the era of new antiviral therapies

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The new standard-of-care treatment for genotype 1 hepatitis C virus infection is a combination of PEG-interferon (PEG-IFN), ribavirin (RBV) and a protease inhibitor - telaprevir or boceprevir. As triple therapy is not yet approved for use in decompensated cirrhotics and liver transplant recipients, we examine the efficacy and safety of PEG-IFN, RBV and protease inhibitors in nontransplant populations to inform the current and future treatment paradigms for transplant candidates and recipients.

RECENT FINDINGS

Protease inhibitor-based triple therapy is more efficacious than PEG-IFN and RBV in nontransplant genotype 1 patients, so sustained virologic response rates are predicted to be higher in waitlisted candidates and transplant recipients treated with protease inhibitor-triple therapy. Because of the need to use a backbone of PEG-IFN and RBV, tolerability of therapy will remain a major challenge. Anemia, a well recognized side-effect with PEG-IFN and RBV, will be especially common with protease inhibitor-triple therapy. Both protease inhibitors can modify the levels of drugs metabolized by the CYP3A/4 pathway, and in posttransplant patients, the protease inhibitors increase the levels of cyclosporine and tacrolimus, with the magnitude of the drug-drug interactions varying with protease inhibitor and type of calcineurin inhibitor (CNI).

SUMMARY

Given the complexities of treatment, it is best undertaken by experienced clinicians and only after a detailed discussion of risks-benefits with the patient. To maximize the benefit while minimizing risk, only Child-Turcott-Pugh A (CPT-A) cirrhotics should be considered for pretransplant protease inhibitor-triple therapy. For transplant recipients, very close monitoring and adjustment of CNI levels is critical during protease inhibitor-triple therapy. Cytopenias, especially anemia, will require aggressive management.

New insights in recurrent HCV infection after liver transplantation

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a small-enveloped RNA virus belonging to the Flaviviridae family. Since first identified in 1989, HCV has been estimated to infect 170 million people worldwide. Mostly chronic hepatitis C virus has a uniform natural history, from liver cirrhosis to the development of hepatocellular carcinoma. The current therapy for HCV infection consists of a combination of Pegylated interferon and ribavirin. On the other hand, HCV-related liver disease is also the leading indication for liver transplantation. However, posttransplant HCV re-infection of the graft has been reported to be universal. Furthermore, the graft after HCV re-infection often results in accelerated progression to liver failure. In addition, treatment of recurrent HCV infection after liver transplantation is often compromised by enhanced adverse effects and limited efficacy of interferon-based therapies. Taken together, poor outcome after HCV re-infection, regardless of grafts or recipients, poses a major issue for the hepatologists and transplant surgeons. The aim of this paper is to review several specific aspects regarding HCV re-infection after transplant: risk factors, current therapeutics for HCV in different stages of liver transplantation, cellular function of HCV proteins, and molecular mechanisms of HCV entry. Hopefully, this paper will inspire new strategies and novel inhibitors against recurrent HCV infection after liver transplantation and greatly improve its overall outcome.

Review article: the treatment of genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C virus infection in liver transplant candidates and recipients

BACKGROUND

Recently, the therapeutic landscape with regard to anti-HCV therapy has changed dramatically. The new directly acting anti-virals (DAAs) have demonstrated improved sustained virological response (SVR) compared with pegylated-interferon and ribavirin.

AIM

To examine and present the latest data with regard to anti-viral therapy in genotype 1 HCV-positive transplant candidates and recipients.

METHODS

An electronic search using Medline was performed. Search terms included 'HCV, DAA and protease inhibitor' in combination with 'treatment pre-transplantation' and 'treatment post-transplantation'.

RESULTS

Patients with advanced fibrosis and cirrhosis have inferior SVR rates compared with patients with minimal fibrosis. A low accelerating dose regimen (LADR) of pegylated interferon and ribavirin (PR) appears to be a safe therapeutic option. Side effects also appear to be more pronounced in patients with advanced disease. Data from the large registration studies with triple therapy (boceprevir or telaprevir plus PR) demonstrated improved SVR rates even in patients with advanced disease, although virological relapse rates were highest amongst these patients. In transplant recipients, initial data are being reported on the use of triple therapy, and although no SVR data are available, promising results are accruing. The drug-drug interactions appear to be manageable. Side effects in particular anaemia appear to be markedly increased in the posttransplant setting.

CONCLUSIONS

The use of the new DAAs in patients with advanced fibrosis/cirrhosis pretransplant and posttransplant appears possible, with manageable side effects and drug-drug interactions, and improved early virological response rates. We recommend that these patients are managed in centres with the appropriate expertise.

Current management and perspectives for HCV recurrence after liver transplantation

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is one of the leading causes of end-stage liver disease and the main indication for liver transplantation (LT) in most countries. All patients who undergo LT with detectable serum HCV RNA experience graft reinfection. Between 20 and 30% of patients develop cirrhosis within 5 years post-LT. The outcome of transplant patients with cirrhosis on the graft is severe, with a rate of decompensation at 1 year of around 40%. To date, retransplantation is the only option for patients who develop decompensation. Until 2011, standard antiviral therapy, using pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN) and ribavirin (RBV), was the only effective therapy. Obtaining a sustained virological response (SVR) in the setting of LT greatly improves overall and graft survival, but this only concerns 30% of transplanted patients. Direct-acting antivirals (DAA) such as protease inhibitors, polymerase or other non-structural proteins inhibitors represent a new era in HCV-associated liver disease. Although their use in the field of liver transplantation seems to be essential, there are some limitations due to safety and tolerance. One limitation is the potential interaction with calcineurin inhibitors. We describe the preliminary results of triple therapy with boceprevir or telaprevir in terms of efficacy and safety in liver transplant recipients.

Efficacy of the retreatment of hepatitis C virus infections after liver transplantation: role of an aggressive approach

A sustained virological response (SVR) is achieved by 30% of naive liver transplantation (LT) recipients treated with pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN) and ribavirin (RBV). Almost no data are available about retreatment. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy, tolerability, and SVR predictors of retreatment. Data were collected from 4 centers on the retreatment of prior nonresponders to standard therapy or PEG-IFN (with or without RBV) and relapsers. Seventy-nine of 301 treatment-experienced LT patients (26%), who had a median age of 59 years (range = 35-77 years) and were mostly male (72%) and infected with genotype 1 (87%), were retreated with PEG-IFN and RBV at a median of 6.9 years after LT. During the first course of therapy, 35% were treated with interferon, 49% received tacrolimus, 52% received steroids, and 49.5% were relapsers. Retreatment was started at a median of 1.9 years (range = 45 days to 8.2 years) after the end of the first course. The proportion of patients with cirrhosis increased from 10% to 37% (P < 0.001). In addition, in retreated patients, full initial RBV doses (P = 0.03), growth factors [erythropoietin (P < 0.001) and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (P = 0.048)], and transfusions (P = 0.03) were used more frequently, and the treatment duration was longer (P = 0.03). An end-of-treatment response was achieved in 61%, whereas SVR, which was associated with improved survival, occurred in 28 (35%). The variables predicting SVR were age (P = 0.04), disease severity [fibrosis (50% with F0-F2 versus 26% with F3-4), P = 0.03; bilirubin, P = 0.006; platelet count, P = 0.03], adherence, and viral kinetics. None of the patients without an early virological response achieved SVR. There was a trend of prior relapsers achieving higher SVR rates than prior nonresponders. In conclusion, SVR, which was achieved by approximately one-third of the retreated patients, can be predicted with the same variables used for naive LT recipients (age, disease severity, adherence, and viral kinetics) and is associated with enhanced survival.

The role of bridging therapy in hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary malignancy of the liver accounting for 7% of all cancers worldwide. Most cases of HCC develop within an established background of chronic liver disease. For that reason, liver resection is only possible in selected patients. Liver transplantation has become the treatment of choice in patients with HCC, end-stage liver disease, and significant portal hypertension. Shortage of organ donors has resulted in overall increase of waiting list time with increased risk of dropout due to tumor progression. Neoadjuvant therapies have emerged as an alternative to control tumor growth in patients while waiting. The aim of this study is to review the literature on the role of bridging therapy and downstaging prior to liver transplantation in patients with HCC. We are also presenting our single-center experience of 96 patients undergoing transplantation for HCC with and without bridging therapy.

Hepatitis B and C in liver transplantation: new strategies to combat the enemies

Hepatitis B immune globulin-free therapeutic regimens with a nucleos(t)ide analogue (NUC) or NUC combinations after liver transplantation (LT) are currently being investigated for their efficacy and safety as HBV re-infection prophylaxis in clinical studies. Recurrence rates differ among these studies as most of them are limited by a non-randomised study design, small sample size, lack of long-term data and varying time intervals for the switch from combined to purely virostatic prophylaxis. Post-transplant pre-emptive antiviral therapy with pegylated IFN and ribavirin is associated with low sustained virological response rates and was found to have no advantage over treatment of manifest HCV re-infection. Safety and efficacy of triple antiviral therapy including boceprevir or telaprevir in patients with manifest HCV re-infection are currently under investigation in clinical trials. Relevant drug interactions have been shown to occur during calcineurin inhibitor (CNI) and concomitant triple antiviral therapy, which vary with type of CNI and choice of HCV protease inhibitor. Newer direct-acting antivirals with lower or minimal toxicity, when used in combination with immunosuppressives, are worthy of further study in LT patients. This review focuses on hot topics in the management of hepatitis B and C patients before and after LT and offers a critical summarised selection of the corresponding relevant studies published in the current literature or presented at recent liver congresses.

Hepatitis C virus recurrence and immunosuppression-free state after liver transplantation

HCV-related disease is the most common indication for liver transplantation (LT). HCV recurrence, which is almost universal, has a significant impact on patient and graft survival after LT and still represents a great unsolved issue for the liver transplant community. Several treatment strategies have been proposed. Since antiviral therapy has limited efficacy and can be administrated only in selected transplant recipients and additionally that immunosuppressive drugs have a negative impact on HCV re-infection, the achievement of an immunosuppression-free state after LT could play a central role in the avoidance of rapid HCV recurrence.

Liver transplantation in the setting of chronic HCV

Recurrent HCV disease is the most common cause of graft loss and patient mortality in HCV-infected liver transplant (LT) recipients. Risk factors for more severe recurrence that are potentially modifiable are older donor age, prolonged cold ischaemia time, prior treated acute rejection, CMV hepatitis, IL28B donor genotype, and post-LT insulin resistance. The most effective means of preventing HCV recurrence is eradicating HCV prior to LT. Select wait-list candidates with compensated or mildly decompensated disease can be considered for antiviral treatment with peginterferon, ribavirin (and protease inhibitor if genotype 1). For the majority of LT patients, HCV treatment must be delayed until post-transplant. Treatment is generally undertaken if histologic severity reaches grade 3 or 4 necroinflammation or stage ≥2 fibrosis, or if cholestatic hepatitis. Achievement of sustained viral response (SVR) post-LT is associated with stabilization of fibrosis and improved graft survival. SVR is attained in ~30% of patients treated with peginterferon and ribavirin. Poor tolerability of therapy is a limitation. Combination therapy with telaprevir or boceprevir added to peginterferon and ribavirin is anticipated to increase efficacy but with higher rates of adverse effects and challenges in managing drug-drug interactions between the protease inhibitors and calcineurin inhibitors/sirolimus.

HCV in liver transplantation

HCV-related cirrhosis represents the leading indication for liver transplantation in the Western countries. HCV reinfection after liver transplantation occurs in virtually all patients transplanted for HCV-related liver disease Histological evidence of chronic HCV infection develops in 50 to 90 % of patients by 12 months after liver transplantation, and cirrhosis occurs in about 20 % of patients within 5 years after transplant. Several studies have evaluated host, viral, and transplant-related factors that might be associated with the severity of HCV recurrence. Among host factors, immunosuppression is one of the major factors that accounts for accelerated HCV recurrence and it has been an area of extensive research and controversy. Donor age, steatosis, and immunogenetic factors are also relevant in determining the outcome in patients transplanted for HCV-related cirrhosis. A major step to prevent complications of HCV recurrence related to the rapid fibrosis is the posttransplant antiviral treatment. Two strategies have been tried: pre-emptive or other strategies as soon as possible after liver transplantation or elective therapy once there is histological evidence of recurrent hepatitis C. Retransplantation due to graft failure from recurrent hepatitis C is rarely an option in the era of organ shortage as it is associated with poor outcome, but many case needs to be considered early in the evolution of disease. New antivirals may change the outcome dramatically of patients transplanted for HCV cirrhosis.

Comparison of two non-contemporaneous HCV-liver transplant cohorts: strategies to improve the efficacy of antiviral therapy

BACKGROUND & AIMS

In a previous study, advanced fibrosis was associated with worsening efficacy of antiviral therapy in HCV-transplant patients. We aimed at assessing whether changes in treatment policy, that is starting therapy at lesser stages of fibrosis, have resulted in improved efficacy.

METHODS

Efficacy (rapid, early, end-of-treatment, and sustained viral response (SVR)) and tolerability (peginterferon (pIFN)/ribavirin (RBV) doses, premature discontinuation, dose reductions, anemia, growth factors, transfusions) were compared between two non-contemporaneous cohorts of post-LT naïve patients treated with pIFN-RBV: Group 1 (n=44), a historical cohort of patients treated during the period 2005-2007 and Group 2 (n=70), patients treated more recently (2007-2010), where treatment was started once there was evidence of fibrosis.

RESULTS

SVR increased from 25% to 54% (p=0.002) due to a reduction in relapse rate. Comparing both cohorts, a decrease in the number of cirrhotic patients together with an increase in platelet count was observed in recent years. Additional non-intentional changes included: (i) an increase of patients treated under cyclosporine immunosuppression, (ii) treatment-related factors with an increase in patients treated with initial full pIFN and RBV doses, who developed anemia and hence required dose modifications and erythropoietin. Baseline factors associated with SVR were younger donor age, lack of cirrhosis or severe necroinflammation and the use of RBV at full doses at initiation while on-treatment variables were adherence and viral kinetics.

CONCLUSIONS

Treatment in the absence of cirrhosis is associated with higher SVR warranting strict disease progression monitoring. A more aggressive approach, particularly regarding RBV dosage, is also associated with improved efficacy. Further studies are required to assess whether switching to cyclosporine will result in improved SVR.

Spanish society of liver transplantation (SETH) consensus recommendations on hepatitis C virus and liver transplantation

In November 2010, the Spanish Society of Liver Transplantation (Sociedad Española de Trasplante Hepático, SETH) held a consensus conference. One of the topics of debate was liver transplantation in patients with hepatitis C. This document reviews (i) the natural history of post-transplant hepatitis C, (ii) factors associated with post-transplant prognosis in patients with hepatitis C, (iii) the role of immunosuppression in the evolution of recurrent hepatitis C and response to antiviral therapy, (iv) antiviral therapy, both before and after transplantation, (v) follow-up of patients with recurrent hepatitis C and (vi) the role of retransplantation.

Hepatitis C virus treatment pre- and post-liver transplantation

Liver disease caused by the hepatitis C virus is the main indication for liver transplantation in Western countries. However, HCV re-infection post-transplantation is constant and recent data confirm that it significantly impairs patient and graft survival. Chronic HCV infection develops in 75-90% of patients, and 5-30% ultimately progress to cirrhosis within 5 years. Because of the impact of HCV recurrence on graft and patient survival, several treatment strategies have been evaluated. Antiviral therapy could be administered before transplantation to suppress viral replication and reduce the risk of recurrence. However, this approach is applicable in around 50% of patients and tolerance is poor, particularly in patients with decompensated cirrhosis. Pre-emptive therapy in the early post-transplant period is limited by the high rate of side effects. Frequently, antiviral therapy is initiated when HCV recurs to obtain viral eradication and/or reduce disease progression. Treatment of established graft lesions with Pegylated Interferon (PEG-IFN) and Ribavirin (RBV) combination therapy results in a sustained virological response (SVR) in around 30% of patients. The new classes of potent and direct antiviral agents (DAA) will certainly improve the results of pre- and post-transplant antiviral therapy. However, at the present time, no data are available on the use of these drugs in patients with decompensated cirrhosis or post-transplant hepatitis.

Liver transplantation and hepatitis C

Hepatitis-C-virus- (HCV-) related end-stage cirrhosis is the primary indication for liver transplantation in many countries. Unfortunately, however, HCV is not eliminated by transplantation and graft reinfection is universal, resulting in fibrosis, cirrhosis, and finally graft decompensation. The use of poor quality organs, particularly from older donors, has a highly negative impact on the severity of recurrence and patient/graft survival. Although immunosuppressive regimens have a considerable impact on the outcome, the optimal regimen after liver transplantation for HCV-infected patients remains unclear. Disease progression monitoring with protocol biopsy and new noninvasive methods is essential for predicting patient/graft outcome and starting antiviral treatment with the appropriate timing. Antiviral treatment with pegylated interferon and ribavirin is currently considered the most promising regimen with a sustained viral response rate of around 30% to 35%, although the survival benefit of this regimen remains to be investigated. Living-donor liver transplantation is now widely accepted as an established treatment for HCV cirrhosis and the results are equivalent to those of deceased donor liver transplantation.

Liver transplantation and hepatitis C

Hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related end-stage cirrhosis with/without hepatocellular carcinoma is the primary indication for liver transplantation in many countries. Unfortunately, HCV is not eliminated by transplantation and graft re-infection is the rule, resulting in HCV-related graft disease. The natural history of recurrent hepatitis is variable; overall, progression to cirrhosis occurs in 20-30% and allograft failure in 10% after 5-10 years from transplantation. The use of poor quality organs, particularly from old donors, has a significant negative impact on disease severity and transplant outcome. In contrast, antiviral therapy, particularly if it results in permanent eradication of the virus, is associated with improved histology, reduced rate of graft decompensation and enhanced outcome. Disease monitoring, through protocol liver biopsies and new non-invasive tools, is essential to select patients at need of antiviral therapy. Peginterferon with ribavirin, used similarly to what is done in the non-transplant setting, is currently the treatment of choice; sustained viral response is achieved in about 35% of cases. Side effects, particularly anemia, are extremely frequent and sometimes severe (rejection, de novo autoimmune hepatitis). Retransplantation (RT) is the last option for the small subset of patients with allograft failure due to HCV recurrence who fulfil minimum criteria based on RT survival models.

Management of recurrent hepatitis C infection after liver transplantation

Recurrence of hepatitis C virus remains a near-universal phenomenon after liver transplantation (LT) and is responsible for the high morbidity and low survival seen in these patients. The severity of recurrent disease varies depending on multiple factors, only some of which are modifiable. Antiviral therapy is associated with improved outcomes, but viral clearance is only attainable in a small percentage of this patient population. This patient population is in need of new therapeutic options, and it remains to be seen whether direct-acting antiviral agents will be the answer to this ongoing therapeutic question.

Antiviral treatment for HCV recurrence after liver transplantation: when, how much and for how long?

Chronic HCV infection is one of the leading causes of end-stage liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma worldwide, and it constitutes one of the principal indications for liver transplant. However, recurrent HCV infection after liver transplant is nearly universal, and leads to decreased patient and graft survival in the long-term. Strategies to approach this problem that is commonly encountered in clinical practice include treating patients in order to obtain viral clearance before the transplant, pre-emptive treatment, which refers to therapy initiation before there is histological evidence of disease, and treatment for established recurrence. Therapy at these diverse time points poses varied challenges regarding the feasibility of the treatment, possibility of treatment completion, risk of adverse effects and different response rates. Furthermore, advances are being made in identifying prognostic markers of viral response, which could aid in decreasing the disease burden.

Immune-mediated complications of the graft in interferon-treated hepatitis C positive liver transplant recipients

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) re-infection of the graft is universal and interferon based antiviral therapy remains at present the treatment of choice in HCV liver transplant recipients. Apart from the antiviral effects, interferon and ribavirin have both potent immunomodulatory properties resulting in a broad range of immune-related disorders including acute cellular rejection and chronic ductopenic rejection as well as de novo autoimmune hepatitis. Further complicating the picture, HCV infection per se is associated with a variety of autoimmune phenomena. We discuss here the immune-mediated complications and their relationship to chronic HCV and interferon based antiviral therapy.

Treatment of genotype 4 hepatitis C recurring after liver transplantation using a combination of pegylated interferon alfa-2a and ribavirin

BACKGROUND

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) recurrence after liver transplantation (LT) is universal and tends to be more aggressive. Data on post-transplant HCV genotype 4 treatment is scarce. The aim of this study is to assess the safety and efficacy of pegylated interferon alpha-2a (PEG-IFN) in combination with ribavirin in the treatment of recurrent HCV genotype 4 after LT.

METHODS

Twenty-five patients infected with HCV genotype 4 were treated with PEG-IFN alpha-2a at a dose of 180 μg/week in addition to 800 mg/day of ribavirin (the dose was adjusted within the tolerated range of 400-1,200 mg). Pretreatment liver biopsies were obtained from all patients. Biochemical and virological markers were assessed before, during, and after treatment.

RESULTS

Twenty-two patients (88%) achieved an early virological response (EVR) (12 patients tested negative for HCV-RNA). Fifteen (60%) and 14 patients (56%) achieved an end of treatment virological response (ETVR) and a sustained virological response (SVR), respectively. Five patients had advanced pretreatment liver fibrosis. Pretreatment ALT was elevated in 24 patients (96%). The most common adverse effects were flu-like symptoms and cytopenia. Eighteen patients (72%) required erythropoietin alpha and/or granulocyte-colony stimulating factor as a supportive measure. One patient developed severe rejection complicated by sepsis, renal failure, and death. Other adverse effects included depression, mild rejection, impotence, itching, and vitiligo.

CONCLUSIONS

Post-transplant treatment with pegylated interferon alpha-2a and ribavirin achieved SVR in 56% of liver transplant recipients with chronic HCV genotype 4 infection. The combination was relatively safe and exhibited a low rate of treatment withdrawal.

Serum chemokine CXC ligand 10 (CXCL10) predicts fibrosis progression after liver transplantation for hepatitis C infection

The recurrence of liver fibrosis after liver transplantation (LT) for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is responsible for graft loss and patient mortality. Although the contribution of the immune system to fibrosis recurrence is anticipated, systematic studies evaluating immune parameters as predictive markers of allograft fibrosis are lacking. The infiltration of immune cells into the graft is governed by chemokines. Here we assessed the predictive value of serum levels of chemokines [chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 9 (CXCL9), CXCL10, CXCL11, and chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 2 (CCL2)] with respect to fibrosis recurrence after LT in 90 HCV-infected organ recipients. Chemokines were determined within the first and third years after LT and were correlated with histological fibrosis progression in protocol biopsy samples at 1, 3, 5, and 7 years (median follow-up = 3 years). The association of chemokines with fibrosis progression was assessed by univariate and multivariate analyses and by Cox regression analysis. The results for the analyzed chemokines showed that CXCL10 levels in the first year after LT were strongly associated with early fibrosis recurrence (P = 0.005) independently of risk confounders (including the donor age, HCV viral load, HCV genotype, acute rejection, and inflammatory activity). As assessed by Cox regression analysis, a CXCL10 serum level ≤ 140 pg/mL was significantly predictive of the absence of F2 fibrosis (P = 0.001), whereas a level ≤ 220 pg/mL early after LT predicted the absence of F3 fibrosis during follow-up (P = 0.035).

CONCLUSION

CXCL10 is an independent biomarker of the recurrence of significant fibrosis after LT for HCV infection. These results might guide patients' care after transplantation and help us to select optimal candidates for antiviral therapy post-LT.

Retransplantation in patients with hepatitis C recurrence after liver transplantation

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection recurs universally after liver transplantation (LT) and fibrosis progression is accelerated in the graft. Retransplantation (RT) is the only therapeutic option to achieve long-term survival in patients with decompensated cirrhosis after LT. Patient and graft survival rates after RT are inferior to those after primary LT. It is generally accepted that severe hepatitis C recurrence (cholestatic hepatitis) and forms with rapid fibrosis progression have a poor survival after RT. However, it is not clear whether rapid fibrosis progression in the first graft will be followed by the same rate of fibrosis progression in the second graft. The use of prognostic scores as screening tools has shown an improvement in survival in HCV-infected patients after RT, reaching similar survival rates as those obtained in non HCV-infected patients. Moreover, these scores can identify candidates with a high risk of mortality in whom the use of a new organ would be unreasonable. Prevention of severe hepatitis C recurrence could be the first step to avoid RT. Thus, antiviral treatment on the waiting list (if possible) and early identification and treatment of patients with severe hepatitis C recurrence may be a good strategy to avoid RT. In addition, active management of factors which can accelerate fibrosis progression (donor age, post-transplant diabetes, high dose of corticosteroids) might reduce the incidence of severe forms of hepatitis C recurrence.