Liver transplantation

Continued discussion over organ allocation and distribution remained a focal point in the field of liver transplantation in the year 2000. Despite the ongoing debate, no significant changes were implemented in the current allocation system. By far, the most widely discussed topic in liver transplantation this year was live donor adult-to-adult liver transplantation. Several authors reported on their initial experience, with both recipient and donor outcomes appearing excellent. As the number of transplant centers performing this procedure increases we look forward to further studies regarding the safety and long-term outcome of this innovative procedure. Studies on viral hepatitis after liver transplantation again focused on the problem of recurrent hepatitis B and hepatitis C. Several small studies found benefit in patients with hepatitis B treated with intramuscular hepatitis B immunoglobulin and lamivudine after transplantation. Although breakthrough replication remains a problem in some patients, these studies offer hope that combination therapy for hepatitis B may provide improved long-term graft survival in these patients. In patients with hepatitis C, several studies focused on identifying risk factors to predict graft recurrence of the virus after liver transplantation. Both cellular rejection and level of viral replication may be important predictors of recurrent hepatitis C virus in the graft. Early treatment reports using interferon and ribavirin suggest that some patients may have a viral response during therapy; however, it is short lived, and tolerance of medication is difficult. Certainly, we look forward to further studies looking at means of prevention and treatment of viral hepatitis in patients undergoing liver transplantation.