Study of Sirolimus Versus Mycophenolate Liver Transplant Recipients With Recurrent Hepatitis C Virus (HCV)

Summary

Different immunosuppressive drugs used in transplantation may reduce the body's defences against infection differently. It is known that patients with Hepatitis C virus, known as HCV, who switched from azathioprine to mycophenolate mofetil experienced an increase in viral load. Despite this, mycophenolate mofetil is used because it prevents rejection more reliably than azathioprine. Sirolimus is an another immunosuppressive agent that reliably prevents rejection and may have antiviral activity. This study is designed to see if the viral load of HCV and other viruses is reduced by switching from mycophenolate to sirolimus.

Timeline

Start

2010-06

Primary completion

2014-12

Completion

2014-12

Publications

• Background Zekry A, Gleeson M, Guney S, McCaughan GW. A prospective cross-over study comparing the effect of mycophenolate versus azathioprine on allograft function and viral load in liver transplant recipients with recurrent chronic HCV infection. Liver Transpl. 2004 Jan;10(1):52-7. doi: 10.1002/lt.20000.
• Background McAlister VC, Gao Z, Peltekian K, Domingues J, Mahalati K, MacDonald AS. Sirolimus-tacrolimus combination immunosuppression. Lancet. 2000 Jan 29;355(9201):376-7. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(99)03882-9.
• Background Di Benedetto F, Di Sandro S, De Ruvo N, Montalti R, Ballarin R, Guerrini GP, Spaggiari M, Guaraldi G, Gerunda G. First report on a series of HIV patients undergoing rapamycin monotherapy after liver transplantation. Transplantation. 2010 Mar 27;89(6):733-8. doi: 10.1097/TP.0b013e3181c7dcc0.
• Background Gallego R, Henriquez F, Oliva E, Camacho R, Hernandez R, Hortal L, Sablon N, Quintana B, Santana R, Gonzalez F, Palop L, Vega N. Switching to sirolimus in renal transplant recipients with hepatitis C virus: a safe option. Transplant Proc. 2009 Jul-Aug;41(6):2334-6. doi: 10.1016/j.transproceed.2009.06.064.
• Background Samonakis DN, Cholongitas E, Triantos CK, Griffiths P, Dhillon AP, Thalheimer U, Patch DW, Burroughs AK. Sustained, spontaneous disappearance of serum HCV-RNA under immunosuppression after liver transplantation for HCV cirrhosis. J Hepatol. 2005 Dec;43(6):1091-3. doi: 10.1016/j.jhep.2005.08.005. Epub 2005 Sep 15.
• Background Ballardini G, De Raffele E, Groff P, Bioulac-Sage P, Grassi A, Ghetti S, Susca M, Strazzabosco M, Bellusci R, Iemmolo RM, Grazi G, Zauli D, Cavallari A, Bianchi FB. Timing of reinfection and mechanisms of hepatocellular damage in transplanted hepatitis C virus-reinfected liver. Liver Transpl. 2002 Jan;8(1):10-20. doi: 10.1053/jlts.2002.30141.
• Background Charlton M. Liver biopsy, viral kinetics, and the impact of viremia on severity of hepatitis C virus recurrence. Liver Transpl. 2003 Nov;9(11):S58-62. doi: 10.1053/jlts.2003.50245.
• Background Sindhi R, Webber S, Venkataramanan R, McGhee W, Phillips S, Smith A, Baird C, Iurlano K, Mazariegos G, Cooperstone B, Holt DW, Zeevi A, Fung JJ, Reyes J. Sirolimus for rescue and primary immunosuppression in transplanted children receiving tacrolimus. Transplantation. 2001 Sep 15;72(5):851-5. doi: 10.1097/00007890-200109150-00019.
• Background Nepomuceno RR, Balatoni CE, Natkunam Y, Snow AL, Krams SM, Martinez OM. Rapamycin inhibits the interleukin 10 signal transduction pathway and the growth of Epstein Barr virus B-cell lymphomas. Cancer Res. 2003 Aug 1;63(15):4472-80.
• Background Kneteman NM, Oberholzer J, Al Saghier M, Meeberg GA, Blitz M, Ma MM, Wong WW, Gutfreund K, Mason AL, Jewell LD, Shapiro AM, Bain VG, Bigam DL. Sirolimus-based immunosuppression for liver transplantation in the presence of extended criteria for hepatocellular carcinoma. Liver Transpl. 2004 Oct;10(10):1301-11. doi: 10.1002/lt.20237.
• Background Iacob S, Cicinnati VR, Hilgard P, Iacob RA, Gheorghe LS, Popescu I, Frilling A, Malago M, Gerken G, Broelsch CE, Beckebaum S. Predictors of graft and patient survival in hepatitis C virus (HCV) recipients: model to predict HCV cirrhosis after liver transplantation. Transplantation. 2007 Jul 15;84(1):56-63. doi: 10.1097/01.tp.0000267916.36343.ca.
• Background Kornberg A, Kupper B, Tannapfel A, Hommann M, Scheele J. Impact of mycophenolate mofetil versus azathioprine on early recurrence of hepatitis C after liver transplantation. Int Immunopharmacol. 2005 Jan;5(1):107-15. doi: 10.1016/j.intimp.2004.09.010.
• Background Haddad EM, McAlister VC, Renouf E, Malthaner R, Kjaer MS, Gluud LL. Cyclosporin versus tacrolimus for liver transplanted patients. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2006 Oct 18;2006(4):CD005161. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD005161.pub2.
• Background Rostaing L, Izopet J, Sandres K, Cisterne JM, Puel J, Durand D. Changes in hepatitis C virus RNA viremia concentrations in long-term renal transplant patients after introduction of mycophenolate mofetil. Transplantation. 2000 Mar 15;69(5):991-4. doi: 10.1097/00007890-200003150-00055.

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