Successful living donor liver transplantation using a graft from a hepatitis B surface antigen-positive donor

Liver transplantation using a graft from a donor with a positive hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) has been contraindicated owing to the extremely high risk for recurrent disease leading to graft loss. However, the severe shortage of donors often forces the transplant community to utilize suboptimal donors, especially in the setting of living donor liver transplantation (LDLT).

Here, we report a case of successful LDLT for a patient with hepatitis B-related cirrhosis utilizing a graft from an HBsAg-positive 'healthy carrier' donor using a combination prophylaxis of lamivudine and adefovir dipivoxil.

To date, the patient has been doing well with normal liver function tests and liver histological findings at 4 years after the transplantation and the donor has also been doing well.

Although virological recurrence appears to be universal despite prophylaxis, re-evaluation of the use of a graft from a healthy HBsAg-positive donor is warranted in this era of combination prophylaxis.