Combination therapy with silibinin, pegylated interferon and ribavirin in a patient with hepatitis C virus genotype 3 reinfection after liver transplantation: a case report

INTRODUCTION: Hepatitis C virus reinfection occurs universally after liver transplantation with accelerated cirrhosis rates of up to 30% within 5 years after liver transplantation. Management of hepatitis C virus reinfection is complicated by drug interactions and pre-treatment. Dual antiviral therapy with pegylated interferon and ribavirin only reaches sustained virological response rates of approximately 30% after liver transplantation. With the approval of the viral NS3/4A protease and NS5B ribonucleic acid -dependent ribonucleic acid polymerase inhibitors, combination therapy offers new therapeutic options resulting in considerably higher sustained virological response rates in the non-transplant setting. However, silibinin has also shown potent antiviral activity in non-responders to dual therapy. CASE PRESENTATION: We report the first case of antiviral therapy with pegylated interferon and ribavirin in combination with silibinin post-liver transplantation in a 50-year-old Caucasian man with genotype 3 reinfection with prior non-response. Silibinin was administered at a dose of 20mg/kg/day intravenously for 2 weeks and continued orally for 47 weeks in combination with a 48-week pegylated interferon and ribavirin therapy (180μg/week and 800mg/day), which was started on day 8. Pegylated interferon and ribavirin doses were adapted to 135μg/week and 600mg/day. After 4 weeks of therapy, the viral load declined 6 log(10) and became undetectable in week 6, resulting in a sustained virological response 24 weeks after the end of therapy. In general, antiviral therapy was well tolerated. Side effects included pruritus and anaemia leading to erythropoietin therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Combination therapy with pegylated interferon, ribavirin and silibinin resulted in sustained virological response 24 weeks after the end of therapy in a patient reinfected with hepatitis C virus genotype 3 who was a prior non-responder after liver transplantation. Silibinin therapy may offer a new therapeutic option for patients reinfected with non-genotype 1 hepatitis C virus who have had a liver transplanted and are non-responders.