The Management of Hepatitis B in Liver Transplant Recipients

Global Perspectives on the Hepatitis B Vaccination: Challenges, Achievements, and the Road to Elimination by 2030

Annually, more than 1.5 million preventable new hepatitis B (HBV) infections continue to occur, with an estimated global burden of 296 million individuals living with chronic hepatitis B infection. This substantial health challenge results in over 820,000 annual deaths being attributed to complications such as liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The HBV vaccination remains the cornerstone of public health policy to prevent chronic hepatitis B and its related complications. It serves as a crucial element in the global effort to eliminate HBV, as established by the World Health Organization (WHO), with an ambitious 90% vaccination target by 2030. However, reports on global birth dose coverage reveal substantial variability, with an overall coverage rate of only 46%. This comprehensive review thoroughly examines global trends in HBV vaccination coverage, investigating the profound impact of vaccination on HBV prevalence and its consequences across diverse populations, including both high-risk and general demographics. Additionally, the review addresses the essential formidable challenges and facilitating factors for achieving WHO's HBV vaccination coverage objectives and elimination strategies in the coming decade and beyond.

Antiviral prophylaxis against hepatitis B recurrence after liver transplantation: Current concepts

The advance in treatment against hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection with the development of nucleos(t)ide analogues (NAs) with high genetic barrier to resistance, including entecavir and tenofovir, has improved clinical outcomes of patients transplanted for HBV infection, by preventing HBV recurrence after liver transplantation (LT) effectively. Currently, after LT, the combination of hepatitis B immunoglobulin (HBIG) and a high-barrier NA is considered as the standard of care for prophylaxis against HBV recurrence. However, because of the high cost of intravenous high-dose HBIG, other routes of HBIG administration, such as intramuscular or subcutaneous, have come to the foreground. In addition, several transplant centres tend to use a NA as monoprophylaxis, following a short post-LT period of HBIG and NA combination. Lately, studies using HBIG-free prophylactic regimens with entecavir or tenofovir have shown promising outcomes in preventing HBV recurrence, mostly regarding patients with undetectable HBV DNA at the time of LT. Although vaccination against HBV has been an attractive prophylactic approach, its efficacy has been controversial. Moreover, further studies are needed regarding long-term outcomes of complete withdrawal anti-HBV prophylaxis. For patients transplanted for HBV/HDV co-infection, combined regimen should be administered for a longer period post-LT. Finally, the use of grafts from hepatitis B core antibody-positive donors is safe for HBV-negative recipients, with the administration of lifelong antiviral prophylaxis.

Entecavir Monotherapy Prevents Hepatitis B Virus Recurrence After Liver Transplant for Chronic Hepatitis B Patients: A Long-Term Retrospective Study

BACKGROUND

Limited data are available on the use of oral antiviral therapy, particularly the long-term use of entecavir monotherapy in patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related diseases after liver transplant (LT).

METHODS

The clinical data on consecutive patients who underwent LT for HBV-related diseases from 2011 to 2019 were prospectively collected and retrospectively analyzed. All patients received entecavir monotherapy alone during the follow-up period; viral serology/load and liver biochemical tests were performed regularly.

RESULTS

Among the total of 89 patients were patients with decompensated cirrhosis (n = 27 [30%]), acute-on-chronic HBV (n = 21 [24%]), and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) (n = 41 [46%]). The median age of the patients was 50 years (range, 42-58 years), and the median follow-up was 37 months (range, 1-96 months). Before LT, 45 (51%) patients did not receive, whereas 44 (49%) were currently receiving, oral antiviral therapy. At the time of LT, serum level of HBV DNA of 34 (38%) patients was >20 IU/mL, with the median level being 270,000 IU/mL (range, 4270-2,020,000), and 53 patients (59%) had undetectable levels of HBV DNA (≤20 IU/mL). The cumulative rate of hepatitis B surface antigen loss was 79.8%, 100%, and 100% after 1 month, 1 year, and 5 years, respectively. Hepatitis B surface antigen positivity returned after seroclearance in 1 patient, who died of HCC recurrence with an undetectable level of HBV DNA. The overall survival rates at 1, 3, and 5 years after LT were 94.51%, 86.84%, and 85.27%, respectively. During the follow-up period, no entecavir adverse reactions or dose reductions were observed.

CONCLUSIONS

Long-term entecavir monotherapy was highly effective in preventing HBV reactivation and HBV-related diseases.

Prophylaxis and treatment in liver transplantation. VII Consensus Document of the Spanish Society of Liver Transplantation

Whilst prophylaxis of hepatitis B is universally accepted after liver transplantation (LT), national recommendations for the prophylaxis and treatment of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection after LT are lacking in Spain. The aim of the VII consensus meeting organised by the Spanish Society of Liver Transplantation (SETH) was to set recommendations on the prophylaxis and treatment of hepatitis B after LT. The scientific evidence and strength of recommendations was evaluated by using the "Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation" (GRADE) system. This document describes the recommendations and their level of evidence for: the definition and risk factors for hepatitis B recurrence after LT, monitoring and prophylaxis of hepatitis B recurrence at different periods after LT, treatment of hepatitis B before and after LT, and the prophylaxis of HBV infection by the recipients of LT with hepatitis B core antigen positive donors.

Nucleoside analog monotherapy for prophylaxis in Hepatitis B liver transplant patients is safe and efficacious

BACKGROUND

Combination therapy with HBIG and NAs has reduced HBV recurrence post LT. Despite its efficacy, costs of HBIG remain prohibitive. With high-potency NAs, HBIG's use has been questioned. We aim to evaluate the efficacy and safety of HBIG-free regimens in patients transplanted for HBV-related liver disease.

METHODS

A review of LT patients at the National University Hospital, Singapore from 2001 to 2015 was performed. Patients transplanted for HBV were divided by antiviral treatment received: high- or low-potency NAs, or a combination of HBIG with high-potency NAs. Post-transplant outcomes were reviewed till data censure. Primary outcome was recurrence of HBV viremia post-transplant, while secondary outcomes were HBsAg sero-clearance, graft survival and mortality.

RESULTS

Among 58 patients, 51 (88%) had persistent HBV viral suppression. Patients on a high-potency agent had significantly higher viral suppression compared to those on a low-potency agent (97% vs 72%, p = 0.02). This was also seen in patients with VL detectable at transplant (100% vs 50%, p < 0.01). None of the 16 patients with VL detectable at transplant and treated with high-potency agents developed recurrence. 42 patients (72%) achieved persistent HBsAg sero-clearance. Although this was higher in the high-potency NA-only group, it was not statistically significant (p = 0.56). There were no graft failures or mortalities attributed to HBV recurrence.

CONCLUSION

With the use of high-potency agents, HBIG may not be necessary in the treatment of patients transplanted for HBV-related liver disease, even in the presence of detectable VL at time of transplant.

Elimination of Hepatitis C in Liver Transplant Recipients

Background and Aims: Recurrent hepatitis C (HCV) disease in liver transplant (LT) recipients is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. With the availability of noninterferon-based therapy, eliminating HCV may be achievable in LT recipients. Methods: We studied all consecutive recipients who underwent LT at the University of California Los Angeles between January 2005 and June 2017. We collected data on date of transplant and last follow-up, as well as laboratory values. We also recorded type and timing of antiviral therapy relative to LT. Analyses were performed to assess the proportion of LT recipients who are viremic after transplant. Results: Six hundred thirty-four patients underwent LT with a diagnosis of HCV. There was a statistically significant trend for patients to be cured before (p < 0.001) and after liver transplantation (p < 0.001) for the study period of 2014 to 2016 relative to 2005 and 2013, respectively. Of the 634 recipients eligible for therapy, 8% and 74% were treated within 12 months of transplant for the study periods 2005 to 2013 and 2014 to 2016, respectively. There was a significant decrease between the two study periods in the proportion of patients undergoing re-LT 1 year after the original LT: 5.5% (n = 28/510) and 1.5% (n = 2/124) respectively for study periods 2005 to 2013 and 2014 to 2016 respectively (p = 0.011). Conclusions: The proportion of LT recipients who are viremic has decreased over time. Eliminating HCV in LT recipients is feasible after the introduction of direct-acting agents. Curing HCV should translate to improved clinical outcomes in LT recipients who were transplanted for HCV infection with longer follow-up. Preliminary results suggest the decreased need for transplant in the direct-acting agents era.