Entecavir Treatment is Safe and Highly Effective in the Patient with de Novo Hepatitis B Infection After Liver Transplantation: Case Report

Abstract

De novo hepatitis B infection (HBV) occurs rarely after liver transplantion (LT) and is associated with severe hepatitis and graft loss. The liver grafts from anti-HBc positive donors are currently the main sources of de novo HBV infection after LT, which is usually defined by the development of positive HBsAg and/or detectable serum or liver HBV DNA in previously HBV naïve recipients. Here we reported the case of a liver transplant recipient with de novo HBV infection who had a favorable outcome after entecavir therapy. The patient received orthotopic liver transplantation because of end-stage cryptogenic cirrhosis and was found to have de novo HBV infection 6 months later. He was treated with entecavir and his serum HBV DNA turned undetectable 6 months later and HBsAg seroconversion was achieved 18 months later.