That's a little bit encouraging. Thanks.

"article is no longer available" is what I got when I clicked the link...

Respectfully,
Henry

Links still works for me Henry but I will copy/paste for you :^)
http://www.modernmedicine.com/modernmedicine/Modern+Medicine+Now/After-liver-transplant-for-HCV-better-antiviral-re/ArticleNewsFeed/Article/detail/801216?contextCategoryId=40131&ref=25

After liver transplant for HCV, better antiviral results with cyclosporine
Publish date: Jan 2, 2013



Clinical

Last Updated: 2013-01-02 9:30:04 -0400 (Reuters Health)

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - In patients transplanted for hepatitis C cirrhosis, the virus inevitably recurs. Now a new meta-analysis suggests that cyclosporine-based immunosuppression may be associated with a better response to antiviral therapy after transplant than tacrolimus-based protocols.

Recurrent hepatitis C virus (HCV) after transplant leads to cirrhosis in up to 30% of recipients within five years. Treatment with antivirals is less effective after transplant than before.

Dr. Eberhard L. Renner and colleagues from the University of Toronto, Canada pooled data from 18 studies of HCV-positive liver transplant recipients treated with interferon and ribavirin to investigate whether rates of sustained virological response (SVR) are higher with cyclosporine vs tacrolimus.

As reported December 27 online in Liver Transplantation, a random effects model confirmed that cyclosporine was associated with 18% higher efficacy (p=0.05) compared with tacrolimus. There was, however, significant heterogeneity across the studies.

In the four studies that reported genotype-specific SVR rates, SVR rates were consistently higher for G1 patients and for G1/G4 patients on cyclosporine than for G1 patients and G1/G4 patients on tacrolimus. Too few patients with G2/G3 were available for statistical analysis.

End of treatment response rates from six studies did not differ significantly between cyclosporine and tacrolimus patients, but relapse rates were lower with cyclosporine than with tacrolimus (19% vs 26%; p=0.02).

Rates of early discontinuation of antiviral therapy ranged from 11% to 17% for cyclosporine and from 8% to 24% for tacrolimus.

Results from the available studies did not allow definitive conclusions about rejection rates or patient and graft survival rates for the cyclosporine and tacrolimus groups.

"The mechanism or mechanisms by which cyclosporine improves the efficacy of interferon-based antiviral therapy in liver transplant recipients with recurrent HCV are not fully understood," the researchers note. "They may, however, include direct antiviral properties, with cyclosporine (but not tacrolimus) having been shown to inhibit HCV replication and to add to the antiviral efficacy of interferon in vitro."

"Although our results lend further support to a beneficial effect of cyclosporine in patients with recurrent HCV who are undergoing antiviral therapy, they are not conclusive with respect to an overall benefit of using one or another calcineurin inhibitor as the backbone of immunosuppression in HCV-positive liver transplant recipients," the authors continue.

"Confirmation of this marginal benefit in a randomized controlled trial is needed," they add, "although our results suggest that a very large study would be required to achieve the statistical power needed to definitively address this issue."

Dr. Renner did not respond to a request for comments on this report.

SOURCE: http://bit.ly/VvaQJG

Liver Transpl 2012.

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This is why one has to read the ENTIRE ARTICLE!!!
NO SKIMMING ALLOWED!

Results from the available studies did not allow definitive conclusions about rejection rates or patient and graft survival rates for the cyclosporine and tacrolimus groups.

This is kind of important and much more so than efficacy when it involves post transplant patients IMHO...

"The mechanism or mechanisms by which cyclosporine improves the efficacy of interferon-based antiviral therapy in liver transplant recipients with recurrent HCV are not fully understood," the researchers note. "They may, however, include direct antiviral properties, with cyclosporine (but not tacrolimus) having been shown to inhibit HCV replication and to add to the antiviral efficacy of interferon in vitro."

"Although our results lend further support to a beneficial effect of cyclosporine in patients with recurrent HCV who are undergoing antiviral therapy, they are not conclusive with respect to an overall benefit of using one or another calcineurin inhibitor as the backbone of immunosuppression in HCV-positive liver transplant recipients," the authors continue.

"Confirmation of this marginal benefit in a randomized controlled trial is needed," they add, "although our results suggest that a very large study would be required to achieve the statistical power needed to definitively address this issue."

When they do have the trial, then I'll take the information more seriously because as of now, there's simply not enough empirical evidence to generate decent stats that would show the info that is currently lacking from this particular article.

Still, thanks for posting the article Kramer!

Respectfully,
Henry

Dr. Renner did not respond to a request for comments on this report.

Transplant is a world I have not had to live in yet and as a result I have little knowledge. I just thought the link would be of interest to a few folks here.