The Forgotten Hepatitis B Donor in Heart Transplantation

In the past, Hepatitis B donors have been declined in patients who have not been vaccinated by the Hepatitis B vaccine. There is concern that these donors would transmit Hepatitis B to the recipient if they are not vaccinated. There is treatment available for these Hepatitis B infections, however, it has not been established as to its efficacy in patients on immunosuppression. In addition, hepatitis viruses have been reported to affect the endothelium of vital organs. Hepatitis B may injure the endothelium of the coronary vascular tree and could potentially result in a greater development of cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) after heart transplantation.
Source: The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation - Category: Transplant Surgery Authors: Tags: (1224) Source Type: research