The research led by Kosh Agarwal at the Institute of Liver Studies at Kings College Hospital in London showed no difference in survival rates at one and five years between HIV negative and HIV positive patients, suggesting a good prognosis for HIV positive patients following liver transplant.
However, the researchers said their findings confirmed co-infection with hepatitis C virus is a significant predictor of poorer survival rates in patients with HIV. Survival rates at 1 and 5 years were 73 percent and 53 percent in HIV positive patients with hepatitis C versus 87 percent and 69 percent in HIV negative patients with hepatitis C.
"Data on long-term outcomes from liver transplantation in HIV patients is limited," Agarwal said "These study results are valuable confirmation that selected HIV positive patients are as suitable candidates for liver transplant as HIV negative patients and should have similar access to treatment. However, those patients with co-infection with hepatitis C did less well, emphasising the need for appropriate antiviral therapy early in the course of their HCV related liver disease.
The study was presented last week in Copenhagen, Denmark, during a meeting of the European Association for the Study of the Liver.
Copyright 2009 by United Press International.
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