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Lin SH, Wu KT, Wang CC, Huang KT, Hsu LW, Eng HL, Chiu KW. Immune Responses to Anti-Hepatitis C Virus Antibodies during Pre-Liver Transplantation Direct-Acting Antiviral Therapy in Hepatitis C Virus-Infected Recipients Associated with Post-Liver Transplantation Allograft Injury. Antibodies (Basel) 2024; 13:7. [PMID: 38247571 PMCID: PMC10801541 DOI: 10.3390/antib13010007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 12/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS The impact of antibody responses following direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy in hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected recipients before and after liver transplantation (LT) is still undetermined. METHODS In this observational cohort study, we aimed to explore the association between changes in anti-HCV antibody titers following pre-LT DAA therapy and allograft injury, including biliary complications (BCs) and acute cellular rejection (ACR). RESULTS A total of 153 cases were enrolled from January 2015 to February 2021. Serum anti-HCV antibody titers were assessed before and after (day 30) LT. Among all recipients, 31/153 (20.3%) had pre-LT DAA therapy (the DAA group) and 122/153 (79.7%) did not undergo pre-LT DAA therapy (the DAA-naïve group). A higher incidence of post-LT BCs was observed in the DAA group (p = 0.028). Compared with the DAA-naïve group, the DAA group had a significantly higher mean level of anti-HCV titer upregulation (p = 0.0024); furthermore, among the recipients with BCs (n = 28) and ACR (n = 41), those in the DAA group exhibited significantly higher mean levels of anti-HCV antibody titer upregulation (p < 0.005). CONCLUSIONS In conclusion, we speculate that the upregulation of anti-HCV antibody titers, which might have been induced via the restoration of HCV-specific immune responses through pre-LT DAA therapy, was associated with post-LT allograft injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shu-Hsien Lin
- Division of Hepato-Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung 83301, Taiwan;
- Liver Transplantation Center, Department of Surgery, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung 83301, Taiwan; (C.-C.W.); (K.-T.H.); (L.-W.H.); (H.-L.E.)
| | - Kun-Ta Wu
- E-Da Healthcare Group, E-Da Hospital, College of Medicine, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung 82445, Taiwan;
| | - Chih-Chi Wang
- Liver Transplantation Center, Department of Surgery, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung 83301, Taiwan; (C.-C.W.); (K.-T.H.); (L.-W.H.); (H.-L.E.)
- College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan
- Division of General Surgery, Department of Surgery, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung 83301, Taiwan
| | - Kuang-Tzu Huang
- Liver Transplantation Center, Department of Surgery, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung 83301, Taiwan; (C.-C.W.); (K.-T.H.); (L.-W.H.); (H.-L.E.)
- Institute for Translational Research in Biomedicine, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung 83301, Taiwan
| | - Li-Wen Hsu
- Liver Transplantation Center, Department of Surgery, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung 83301, Taiwan; (C.-C.W.); (K.-T.H.); (L.-W.H.); (H.-L.E.)
- Institute for Translational Research in Biomedicine, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung 83301, Taiwan
| | - Hock-Liew Eng
- Liver Transplantation Center, Department of Surgery, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung 83301, Taiwan; (C.-C.W.); (K.-T.H.); (L.-W.H.); (H.-L.E.)
- College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan
- Department of Pathology, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung 83301, Taiwan
| | - King-Wah Chiu
- Division of Hepato-Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung 83301, Taiwan;
- Liver Transplantation Center, Department of Surgery, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung 83301, Taiwan; (C.-C.W.); (K.-T.H.); (L.-W.H.); (H.-L.E.)
- College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan
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