Lamivudine monoprophylaxis for de novo HBV infection in HBsAg-negative recipients with HBcAb-positive liver grafts.

We followed the efficacy of long-term lamivudine monotherapy in preventing development of de novo hepatitis B (DNHB) in a large cohort of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-negative recipients with grafts from hepatitis B core antibody (HBcAb)-positive donors. Recipients were observed over a long follow-up. Between July 1999 and December 2008, 45 patients (median age 54, range 19-67) who were HBsAg negative before transplantation were included in the study of monoprophylaxis with lamivudine starting on post-operative day 1, and continuing for life. Mean follow-up: 37.9 months; median 32.1 months (range 2.4-117). No suspension of therapy was reported during the study. Post-transplantation, …