Long-term therapy with lamivudine in renal transplant recipients with chronic hepatitis B.

BACKGROUND: Lamivudine is a potent inhibitor of hepatitis B virus (HBV) replication. As other available HBV therapies, its efficacy is hampered by relapse after discontinuation and by the risk of viral breakthrough. A recent study suggests that pre-emptive lamivudine therapy improves survival in HBV renal transplants, but few data are available regarding its long-term use in this population. The clinical features, course and viral mutations associated with the emergence of viral resistance in this population have not been well studied. METHODS: We followed 14 consecutive renal transplant patients treated with lamivudine for chronic hepatitis B. Breakthrough was defined as the reappearance of HBV DNA by hybridization. In patients with breakthrough, lamivudine was always continued and patients were followed up monthly. Mutations associated with viral resistance were determined by sequencing the polymerase encoding gene at the beginning of treatment and at the time of breakthrough. RESULTS: The median duration of treatment was 64.5 months. Resistance to lamivudine appeared in eight patients (57%) after a median duration of treatment of 15 (9-24) months. During a 51 month follow-up after breakthrough, only three of eight patients had a flare-up with alanine aminotransferase levels more than 5 ULN, and no hepatic decompensation was observed. Analysis of HBV sequencing after breakthrough revealed specific resistance mutations in both the B and C domains of the polymerase (rtL180M/M204V, n = 5; rtM204I, n = 2). CONCLUSION: Lamivudine is a safe and effective treatment of active hepatitis B in renal transplant patients. Resistance to treatment is frequent but seems to have little clinical impact over the considered period. In our experience, the YMDD mutation accounts for most cases of virological escape in patients with good compliance.

[Postoperative course after open nephrectomy for organ donation]. / Suites opératoires après néphrectomie par voie incisionnelle pour don d'organe.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the quality of the postoperative course after conventional organ donation nephrectomy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Over the last 29 months, 29 organ donation nephrectomies were performed in our hospital. Thirteen donors were non-residents. This series consisted of twenty organ donations between siblings, two organ donations from children to parents and seven organ donations from parents to children. The mean age of the donors was 42 years (range: 21 to 53). Ten pairs were HLA identical, 18 were semi-identical and one pair had only one A identity in common. The mean plasma creatinine on admission was 81 +/- 23 mumol/l. RESULTS: Twenty three left kidneys and 3 right kidneys were harvested, with the last two right kidneys removed via a right anterior subcostal incision. Among the 23 left lumbotomies, the 11th rib was preserved in 21 cases in order to decrease postoperative pain. The mean operating time for patients operated by lumbotomy was 90 +/- 11 minutes. The mean postoperative stay (MPS) was 4.56 days (range: 3 to 8 days). The mean morphine consumption during hospitalisation was 40 mg per patient (range: 0 to 105 mg). Only one complication was observed: pneumothorax requiring postoperative drainage for 48 hours with no subsequent sequelae. No donor was transfused intraoperatively or postoperatively and no wound sequelae were observed. The mean plasma creatinine on discharge was 113 +/- 23 mumol/l. CONCLUSION: These results in terms of analgesic consumption, complications, and mean postoperative stay appear to compare favourably with those obtained by other teams, particularly when organ harvesting is performed laparoscopically (MPS: 4.5 days vs 3 days).